


All is Fair in Love and Drama Club

by moosepantsonfire



Category: Gravity Falls, Over the Garden Wall (Cartoon), ParaNorman (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, I'M SORRY NORMAN MY LIL CINNAMON BUN, M/M, don't worry the story will progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-23
Updated: 2017-04-29
Packaged: 2018-05-22 18:17:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 21,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6089764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moosepantsonfire/pseuds/moosepantsonfire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>If there's one thing Norman Babcock learned from his first drama club production, it's that a lot of drama ends up happening offstage rather than on it.</p>
<p>And believe him when he says there is indeed a lot of it.</p>
<p>(Disclaimer - I legitimately have no experience with school drama club productions. I'm going off of my own research and my friends' experiences.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Audition

“Ack! Wirt, let me go!” Dipper yelled, pounding on his boyfriend’s shoulder. Wirt laughed as he proceeded to spin in a circle, Dipper flailing helplessly in his arms.

“Sorry, sorry,” Wirt apologized, letting go of a very annoyed Dipper. “You’re just so short, it’s adorable!” If it were anyone else, he’d swear he’d never do this or act like this in front of them.

But this was Dipper he was talking about. His very, very short, yet incredibly smart boyfriend of one year.

“I am not!” Dipper protested, throwing his hands up in frustration. He glared at the taller teen. “You’re a jerk.”

“I’m your jerk.” Wirt corrected, before leaning down to press a gentle kiss to the teen’s lips. He let go before murmuring, “And we both know I was just playing around.”

Dipper rolled his eyes, but smiled at his boyfriend lovingly. They held each other’s gaze for a second before a shriek made them avert their attention from each other.

Dipper’s twin sister ran up to them, jumping up and down excitedly. Wirt smiled at her, remembering Dipper and Mabel’s ongoing argument about who was taller -- in the end it was Mabel, by like, half an inch.

She sputtered a bunch a gibberish before Dipper told her to slow down and explain.

“I got the lead role in the play!” She explained, “I’m gonna be the best little mermaid this school’s ever seen!”

“Congrats Mabes!” Dipper congratulated, Wirt nodding along enthusiastically. “You totally deserve that part. You’re great at acting.”

“I know, right—!” She faked a cough. “I mean, thanks.”

The two teen boys laughed. “So you know what this means? You need to celebrate!” Wirt commented and Mabel’s eyes lit up at the thought.

“You’re right!” She agreed. “Celebration tonight at our house!”

“You sure mom and dad will be okay with this?” Dipper questioned, just to be sure.

Mabel rolled her eyes at him and scoffed. “Come on Dip, we’re seventeen! I’m pretty sure they’d be fine with this.” She retorted.

“Okay, okay. I was just asking.” Dipper defended, holding his hands up in defeat.

A loud bell rang, signaling all students to go to homeroom. Mabel smiled as she stuffed a notebook into her backpack. “So it’s settled! Tonight at seven, our place. Don’t forget to invite Jason and Sarah!” She reminded before turning her heel to walk to her homeroom.

Dipper shook his head and smiled, turning back to Wirt. The teen taking out some books from his locker to stuff in his own backpack before slamming the door shut. “See you, babe.” He stood on his tippy toes to give his boyfriend a kiss on the lips.

Wirt returned the kiss before pulling back, a sheepish smile on his face. “So, see you before lunch?”

“Again?” Dipper sighed overdramatically. He bit back a laugh at Wirt’s unsure expression. “Yes, you dummy! See you before lunch.”

\--

After five boring hours of constant schoolwork, the bell rang signaling that the last lunch period was starting. Dipper grinned to himself, rushing out of his English class to get to his locker.

When he got there, he quickly shoved his books in and pulled out some extra cash he kept in his backpack. He was halfway to Wirt’s locker when he noticed the teen talking to a rather pretty looking  
girl. The girl laughed at something Wirt had said as the boy smiled.

Dipper huffed to himself. This probably wasn’t something he should work himself up about, but he couldn’t deny the slight tingle of jealousy he was feeling.

Dipper glared in the direction of the freckle-faced girl as she continued to converse with Wirt. Dipper decided to hang back a little, mostly to observe the two for any funny business (don’t get him wrong, he completely trusted Wirt. It was the girl he was a bit hesitant about).

Dipper waited, leaning against the wall of lockers behind him. He pouted, watching the way the girl’s blue dress would sway and counting off each second Wirt held her gaze. He tapped his foot impatiently as the two carried on in content, completely unaware of the slowly emptying hallway.

Dipper sighed in relief when the girl nodded her head and turned her heel, walking away from Wirt. He watched as the teen called after her, “See you later Beatrice!”

As she waved back at him and continued to walk away, Dipper stormed up to the Wirt with an irritated look on his face. “Took you two long enough.” He muttered, crossing his arms.

Wirt laughed as Dipper dropped his arms, instinctively grabbing Wirt’s hand and held on to it possessively. The couple walked towards the cafeteria as Dipper demanded Wirt explained.

“Beatrice is a friend of mine,” he said calmly, though Dipper shot him skeptical looks. “We tutor each other, as odd as it sounds. She helps me in history, while I help her in English. She was just telling me that she couldn’t meet with me at the library this weekend because of a family thing. See? Nothing to get jealous over.”

“I-I wasn’t jealous!” Dipper stuttered, but they both knew that was a lie. Wirt chuckled, pressing a kiss to Dipper’s forehead.

“Besides,” he continued. “I would never cheat on you. You’re too cute to leave.” Dipper’s face turned red as he opened his mouth to protest. Wirt cut him off with a laugh as he said, “No but seriously, I’d never leave you. Besides, Beatrice mostly sees me as her favorite sibling.”

Dipper’s face cooled down as he mumbled something under his breath. They quickly bought they’re lunches once they reached the lunch room. Mabel was nowhere to be seen at their usual lunch table. Some of their other friends were already there, chatting about this and that.

“Yo!” Sarah called. “What took you two love birds so long?”

“I bet you five bucks they were making out in the bathroom.” Jason commented as Dipper and Wirt sat down across from the other two.

“Shut up Funderberker.” Wirt shot back, though he looked more amused than annoyed. “But really, a public school bathroom? If anything we would be making out in—“

“Okay, enough of that.” Dipper cut in, face red as ever while the other three laughed. “Where’s Mabel?”

“She went to tell some of her other friends the great news.” Sarah replied as she leaned over the table to steal Wirt’s bag of chips. Wirt let her, knowing that resistance was futile.

“Oh.” Dipper picked at his food as he looked around the rather small cafeteria. “So you guys are coming to the celebration tonight at our place?”

“Of course!” Sarah and Jason replied in unison. “But it’s not like we could say no. Mabel was begging us before we even answered.” Sarah commented, rolling her eyes jokingly.

Dipper hummed in response as he started eating his lunch. The four chatted as they waited for Mabel to return.

She did, at some point during the period. She ran up to them, dragging along with her a rather tall and lanky boy with deep blue eyes and hair that stuck up on its own accord.

The group of four turned their attention to the short brunette and the tall teen approaching the table. Dipper could barely hear the boy mumbling something to her along the lines of “Do I have to? I mean it’s not that big of a deal—“ 

“Not that big of a deal!? Of course it is!” Mabel exclaimed as she stopped in front of the group. “Hey guys, guess who’s playing prince Eric in the little mermaid!” She prompted, motioning to the teen besides her.

“Let me guess…” Wirt answered. “Is it Norman?” He asked in a fake surprised tone, pointing to the teen. Mabel nodded excitedly. “That’s what I thought. Hey Norm.” He greeted.

“Hey Wirt,” Norman replied, sighing.

Mabel looked shocked as she said, “You two know each other?”

“He’s my neighbor.” Wirt said casually and Norman nodded in confirmation. Mabel nodded, a long “oh” escaping her lips before continuing.

“Well, anyways, Norman’s going to playing the other lead role! Can you believe it!?” She exclaimed enthusiastically as everyone at the table congratulated the teen. “See? And you said you wanted no one to know.” She said pointedly to him.

“I still don’t,” Norman replied.

“Well why not?” Sarah questioned, finishing up Wirt’s bag of chips.

“Because people think theatre kids are weird. Especially if you’re a guy trying out for a play. I still don’t get how that makes you weird or ‘girly’…” Norman muttered, folding his arms.

“That’s stupid!” Mabel pouted, her face scrunching up. “Theatre isn’t weird! It’s fun!”

“I guess people don’t know how to be fun then.” Jason commented making Mabel, Sarah, and Wirt laugh.

While the three were caught up in their own conversation, Dipper turned to Norman. “Even if that’s true, there’s no harm in being a little weird.”

Norman dropped his arms when he acknowledged Dipper was speaking to him. He didn’t even realize Dipper was there when Mabel originally dragged him over to their table. He shot Dipper a hesitant look. “Why’s that?”

“’Cause being normal is totally boring! I mean, c’mon, have you ever met a cool totally normal person?” Dipper smiled at him, and Norman felt his heart pound in his chest.

That smile, those reassuring words Dipper was saying to him… Why did it make him feel all warm inside? Why did it make his face go red, why did he feel all sweaty and awkward? Why did he suddenly feel too nervous to look him directly in the eye?

He averted his eyes yet smiled. “I-I know… But that doesn’t stop people from teasing me about it, though”

“Hey Norm?” Mabel spoke up, getting his attention quickly. “You should come over at our place tonight. We’re celebrating in honor of getting the best roles!”

“A-are you sure? I mean, I don’t even know where you live and I don’t even have a ride—”

“Don’t worry about it. I think you’re forgetting about a certain someone with a certain driver’s license, who is also your neighbor.” Wirt said, offering a smile.

“Yeah! See? Now you have a ride.” Mabel said pointedly, but Norman still looked hesitant. “Oh pretty please? Please, please, please?” Mabel shot him her famous puppy dog pouty face that no one could ever say no to.

“I—“

Norman tried to decline, but he just couldn’t with that face she was giving him. He sighed. “Alright, alright, I’ll go.”

Mabel squealed, just as the bell rang. Students started filing out of the cafeteria around the group. “Yay! Okay, well I’ve got to get going. My next class is on the other side of the school. See you guys! And don’t forget about tonight!” She ran off excitedly, disappearing into the crowd of people.

“See you guys tonight.” Sarah said, picking up her backpack and walking towards the opposite exist of the cafeteria. Jason followed in her footsteps, after saying his goodbyes to the remaining three.

“Later Norman! It was nice meeting you.” Dipper said, sending him that genuine smile once more that made Norman’s heart start beating again.

“Y-yeah.” He stuttered out, taking in Dipper’s beautiful dark brown eyes.

“Later Norm,” Wirt commented giving him a wave of his hand before walking towards the now less dense crowd of people at the exist. Dipper looked back at him and grinned before continuing his way with Wirt through the crowd.

Norman felt his heart flutter and a warmness flood through him. Why was he feeling this all of a sudden? What did it mean? Why now, why here? What was Dipper doing to him!?

Oh but he knew exactly what Dipper was doing to him… Or what he was doing to himself, he supposed.  
He had fallen in love with Dipper Pines, after only knowing him for what? Five minutes?

And one thing was for sure; he had absolutely fucked himself over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alternative title - Smol Dip & Mabes. Love-Struck Wirt. “I Have Feelings for My Best Friend’s Boyfriend” Norman. I hate myself.
> 
> don't expect a clear update schedule or a plot that completely makes sense. I was just trying to spite my friend with this.
> 
> I may update this sooner though, depending on if you guys want me to.


	2. Callbacks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was just a stupid crush, Norman knew that. He could get over it in a day or two. No biggie, not a single problem.
> 
> But thanks to Mabel, he's starting to have his doubts.

This so-called “celebration” at the Pines Twins house was nothing but hours and hours of Mario Party 8 and snacks in the twins’ basement. But if Norman was being completely honest with himself, he didn't want it any other way.

 

The only reason why Norman was a bit hesitant on coming over was because he wasn’t a fan of big parties, especially parties with lots of people. But no, this celebration was far from it.

                                                                                                                          

It was more like a sleepover, now that he thought about it. Except for, well, the sleeping part. Plus, the crowd wasn’t even that big.

 

The two older teens he had met that morning – Jason and Sarah, they were the first to greet him – were there. Aside from them and obviously Wirt, there had been only one more person. She was a close friend of the Pines twins. 

 

The school knew her as Pacifica Northwest, the richest girl at school. Her pale, perfect complexion and piercing blue eyes could make even the strongest people cry. Everything about her was intimidating, he could tell from the moment she walked in. But the Pines twins didn’t even bat an eye when they were around her. It was as if they saw her as one of their favorite cousins.

 

“I’m definitely going to kick your ass at this game, Northwest.”

 

“Oh yeah, Dip-shit? I’d like to see you try.”

 

“Win it for me, Paz! Because I probably won’t!” Mabel yelled as she gripped the controller tighter in her hands. As of right now, Pacifica and the twins were engaged in a rather exhilarating game of Mario Kart.

 

“Don’t worry.” She reassured. “There’s no way a loser like your brother is going to beat me at a stupid video game.”

 

“You got this Dipper!” Wirt yelled from behind the three.

 

“Of course I do!” He yelled back just as the game started.

 

Most of the game consisted of curse words, yelling, and the occasional laugh from the group of teens behind them.

 

At some point, the atmosphere went from playful and funny to downright serious and terrifying. Aside from the quiet mumbling coming from both Dipper and Pacifica, the entire room was silent.

 

It was tense. Even Mabel was unusually silent. Until…

 

“Woohoo! First place!”

 

Dipper and Pacifica went wide-eyed at her words as the four behind them started laughing.

 

“You—?”

 

“Got—?”

 

“First place,” the blonde and the brunette finished in unison. Their heads shot up to look at the cheering brunette, shock written all over their faces. Both of them looked back at the screen on time to see both their characters pass the finish line at the same time, the CPU crossing the line a few seconds later.

 

“I guess that’s what you two get for trying to mess each other up rather than actually focusing on the game.” Mabel said confidently as she slapped a sticker that read “WINNER!” onto the front of her sweater.       

 

Pacifica’s eyes narrowed, her mouth a thin line as she turned to Dipper. “You,” she hissed, though Dipper wasn’t fazed. He stuck his tongue out at her and Pacifica almost looked offended. “This isn’t over! I’m going to beat you at Mario Kart at some point tonight, or so help me I—“

 

“Paz, come on! You promised you would play truth or dare with me!” Mabel pouted and Pacifica’s threatening demeanor quickly vanished.

 

She just sighed, hiding her smile from the brunette before muttering, “Fine.”

 

“Yay! Wirt!” She called, her head whipping around to see the teen texting someone. “Wirt!” She called once more and his head immediately shot up.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Get over here, we’re playing a game of truth or dare! Jason? Sarah? You too!” Wirt just nodded and got up as the other two groaned.

  

“Do we have to?” Jason whined as Sarah reluctantly got up to follow Wirt to where Mabel and Pacifica were standing.

 

“Of course!” Mabel replied cheerfully as her eyes landed on Norman. “Norm, do you want to play too?”

 

“Uh, I think I’ll just sit this one out.” He replied and Mabel nodded back.

 

“Dip? Wanna play?” His twin sister asked as he grabbed a can of Pitt Cola from the cooler.

 

“I’m good.” He replied simply before plopping down next to Norman on the couch.

 

“Okay, then I guess let’s get started.” Mabel announced, sitting crisscrossed down on the floor as everyone else followed. “Sarah, truth or dare?”

 

Norman watched as the group in front of him played a game of truth or dare, a small smile on his face. He didn’t register Dipper was sitting next to him until the teen spoke up.

 

“So what grade are you in? I don't see you around that often. Are you new or something?” Dipper asked casually, opening his can and taking a sip.

 

Norman jumped a little at the suddenness of the question, but he answered, “Uh, no, I’ve been living here since fourth grade. But I guess you haven’t seen me around that often because I’m a sophomore.”

 

Dipper nodded his head, the realization dawning upon him. “Ohh, that makes a lot more sense. Mabel and I are juniors.”

 

Norman paused, seeming to connect so and so together. “You guys are juniors? Oh shit, dude sorry, I thought you guys were freshmen because—“

 

“Because we’re short as fuck, yeah we get that a lot.” Dipper finished for him, sighing a bit.

 

Norman’s face reddened out of embarrassment. “N-no, no, that’s not why. I mean, it sorta is, but that’s not the  _only_ reason—“

 

The short brunette laughed, completely cutting him off. “Dude, it’s okay. A lot of people assume that at first, even Sarah and Jason did. It’s cool, man.”

 

“Oh.” Norman mumbled as he awkwardly started laughing.

 

“So did you take my advice about the whole ‘normal is boring’ thing that I told you this morning?” The shorter of the two asked.

 

“Y-yeah, actually,” Norman stuttered, feeling his heart start pounding at the memory. “I told some of my friends, and turns out they think it’s amazing that I got one of the main roles.”

 

“See? I told you! Being ‘weird’ is nothing to be ashamed of!” Dipper reassured.

 

“I guess so,” The other murmured, averting his eyes and rubbing the back of his neck.

 

Silence grew between them as he listened to the laughter coming from the group in front of them. Norman felt a rustling next to him, and then a hand tugging at his sleeve. He lifted his head only to find Dipper closer to him, staring him down with a questioning look.

 

He gulped nervously, beads of sweat already forming on his forehead. “W-what?”

 

Dipper narrowed his eyes at the younger teen. “I think you’re hiding something.”

 

Norman’s face flushed as he stuttered out a protest. “I-I’m not hiding anything.”

 

_Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit!_  Was Dipper talking about the probably obvious crush he had on him? He had to be, what else would he be talking about!? Was he trying to get him to admit it? 

 

“Yes you are,” Dipper said with a little smirk on his face. “I have a pretty good lie detector, Norm. So spill it, what are you hiding?”

 

“Nothing! It’s nothing, I’m not hiding anything…” Norman trailed off, desperately trying to look anywhere  _but_ the older teen in front of him.

 

“Oh come on, dude! I  _know_ you’re hiding something! So just tell me! I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

Norman didn’t look convinced which made the other teen sigh. “Okay, look, if I show you one of my secrets, will you tell me what’s yours?”

 

Norman nodded hesitantly and Dipper grinned. He swept his bags to the side of his face to reveal an odd birthmark resembling a very popular constellation.

 

Norman stared in amazement at the odd trait. Dipper laughed at how interested the younger teen was of his stupid birthmark. The other’s face burned out of embarrassment of staring too long, quickly averting his eyes.

 

“The Big Dipper…” He quietly murmured. “Is that why your name is Dipper?”

 

“Well it’s a nickname,” Dipper replied, covering his birthmark once more with his bangs. “My real name is a secret, too, but that’s a secret for another time.” He brought his index finger and his thumb up to his lips, pretending to zip his lips before pointing at the spikey-haired teen. “It's a secret, remember? The only other people who know about it are these guys and my parents.”

 

Norman nodded, signaling he understood. The other teen smiled at him. “Good. Now tell me your secret!” The brunette asked, a bit too eager to know what it was.

 

The smile quickly disappeared from Norman’s face and he gulped nervously. There was no way he could get out of this now. Dipper already shared his secret so  _had_  to tell his.

 

Of course… He could just lie.

 

Yeah… Lie. Why didn’t he think of that before!? After all, he was a pretty good actor. All he needed to do is tell him something odd, or abnormal, just to get him off his chest for a while. Tell him he can talk to ghosts or something and that he didn’t want anyone to know. That’ll satisfy him, won’t it?

 

Ugh! What was he thinking!? He couldn’t lie to anyone, let alone Dipper. Besides, he couldn’t lie to that kind smile and those gentle brown eyes. The guilt would eat him up inside. But if he couldn't lie, that would mean...

 

“I…”

 

He had to confess.

 

Dipper was going to know for sure that Norman liked him. The older teen listened in anticipation as Norman looked away.

 

“I have a crush on y—“

 

“Wirt, no—!”

 

Norman shot his head up just in time to see Wirt jump onto Dipper.

 

“Stop that!” Dipper yelled as Wirt wrapped his arms around his waist, pressing kisses to the teen’s face. Dipper flailed around helplessly, trying to make Wirt let go him.

 

As if it couldn't get any worse, the two ended up falling off the couch. The rest of the group playing truth or dare started laughing and making comments about the sight in front of them. Dipper’s face went bright red.

 

Norman’s face was also bright red, though it was mostly because he wasn’t expecting such an…  _Explicit_ scene such as thisto happen.

 

Wirt began to kiss along Dipper’s jaw and down his neck when suddenly...

 

Dipper moaned. Oh god, he  _actually_ moaned.

 

Wirt let go, a small smirk on his face. Laughter erupted from the group in front them. Norman looked up to see Sarah, Jason, and Mabel falling over with tears in their eyes. Pacifica slapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide, looking genuinely shocked.

 

“What the fuck!? Wirt, you asshole!” Dipper yelled, face burning as he covered the hickey with his hand. He lowered his voice in fear that the others would continue to make fun of him as he said, “You know I’m  _sensitive_ there!”

 

“Sorry kitten,” Wirt apologized, though he didn’t look sorry at all. “Jason dared me.”

 

“Stop complaining Dip!” Mabel called, still struggling to catch her breath. “You know you liked it!” She yelled, followed by a long chorused “ohhh!” from Jason and Sarah.

 

Dipper glared at them, about to make a snarky comment when he suddenly became aware of Norman's presence behind him. He shot his head up to find the younger teen looking away from the scene, his face just as red as his. He looked very,  _very_  uncomfortable.

  
With an apologetic look, Dipper let out a small, embarrassed laugh, “Sorry you, uh, had to see that."

 

Norman shook his head slowly. “No, it’s okay, I've seen worse. I just… You and Wirt… Are you together or something?”

 

A wave of realization fell over Dipper and he paled. “Y-yeah, Wirt and I are dating.” His eyes darted back and forth between Norman and Wirt. His boyfriend was too busy laughing and conversing with Mabel to even take notice of Norman's question. 

 

Dipper opened his mouth to speak, but quickly shut it. He wasn't sure what to say next or if he should even say anything. Norman didn't seem like the type to lash out on someone, especially with how quiet he got, but that was always a possible outcome. 

 

Dipper chose his words carefully. “So are you gonna like... Freak out ‘cause you’re homophobic or something? Or… Are we good?”

 

Norman slowly nodded, a fake smile slipping into his features – one that he hoped Dipper didn’t read into. “Yeah, of course we’re good. I just…”

 

Just what? Totally heartbroken for no reason? He couldn’t say that! What was wrong with him? He shouldn’t be sad at all! He should be happy for them, if anything! Wirt was one of his best friends... And this relationship probably meant so much to him. And yet, he couldn't suppress the feeling of sadness tugging at his heart.

 

A wave a guilt passed through him as he spit out the first thing that came to mind, wanting desperately to change the subject. “I, uh, um… So, uh, about my secret...”

 

He blinked.

 

Why did he say that!?

 

“Oh yeah!” Dipper’s eye lit up, and though Norman’s heart hurt just a bit, he couldn’t help but smile genuinely at it. “What were you going to say? You had a crush on someone?”

 

“Yeah… I have a crush on this…”

 

_This what!? Jesus, Norman, you’re digging your own grave here!_

_“_ I have a crush on this  _girl_ … And I can’t tell her because she’s dating someone else.” He murmured.

 

_Nice save,_ He tells himself sarcastically.

 

He didn’t want to lie to Dipper, but he wasn’t technically lying, was he? The only false thing about the statement was the girl part, but he couldn’t say it was guy or else Dipper would catch on. “It’s been on my mind lately. That’s all.”

 

“Aw man, that sucks.” Dipper responded, a little frown on his face. “But hey, if you ever need anyone to talk to about it, I’m your guy.” He then smiled at Norman, before pretending to zip his lips. “And your secret is safe with me.”

 

“Yeah…” Norman forced a smile but as soon as Dipper looked away, he let a small, unnoticeable frown slip onto his face. 

 

Norman sighed. His heart hurt more than he thought it would.

 

_No._

 

He wasn't going to through himself a pity party. It wasn't right to think that way. He's known Wirt for far too long to be upset over the fact that he's dating someone he likes. It's just stupid. He should be happy for him, for  _them_. There was no point in being torn up over it.

 

And besides, crushes come and go, he'll be over Dipper in a few days.

 

This thinking seemed to help his confidence quite a bit. He turned back to involve himself in the stupid shenanigans the group was getting into. Though, he couldn't help but go silent whenever something remotely romantic came up between Dipper and Wirt.

 

It all ended at ten, which kind of relieved Norman. He was tired – both physically and emotionally. He felt like his brain was about to explode. Between the actual party games and his emotions going from one to one-hundred real fast, he was just about ready to pass out on the twins' basement floor.

 

Sarah, Jason, and Pacifica had already left by then, leaving Norman and Wirt to stay a little longer. By 10:20, Dipper and Wirt were saying their goodbyes at the front door. Mabel led Norman into the kitchen to offer him a glass of water before he left, claiming the two lovebirds deserved some alone time.

 

Mabel decided to reminisce about the party as she poured him a glass of water. Everything from Mario Kart, the  _special_ game of truth or dare, to the embarrassing karaoke duets. Norman had been half listening to her, lost in thought about the homework he forgot to get done. He felt bad about it, but by this point, he was too tired to care that much.

 

"Norman, seriously, where have you been all our lives?” She commented as Norman downed the glass of water in one go. “Hey! How about you come have lunch at our table tomorrow at school. I know you usually sit alone, after all.”

 

Norman nearly choked when he heard her offer.

 

Under any other circumstance, he would have said yes immediately. But he wasn't sure that he should, considering his current situation. Maybe he was being a little over-dramatic about it... And it's not like sitting with them would be horrible.

 

For one thing, he'd be able to spend more time with Wirt like they used to back in middle school. And he'd get to know Sarah and Jason better. Not to mention Mabel's constant optimism. Yeah... What was the harm in that?

 

Of course... He'd have to deal with Wirt and Dipper be all lovey-dovey the whole time. But he could manage, couldn't he?

 

"I-I guess so...?" It came out more like a question rather than a solid answer.

 

“Great!” Mabel cheered, before taking Norman's now empty glass and placing it in the sink. "And I didn't even have to use my special pouty face on you." He shot her a confused look and she winked.

 

They walked out to the front door where Wirt and Dipper were finishing their goodbyes.

 

“Night Dip,” Wirt said before pressing a kiss to the teen’s forehead.

 

“Goodnight, asshole,” Dipper replied jokingly before turning to Norman. “Goodnight, Norman.” He smiled at the younger teen.

 

"N-night." He stuttered, hoping the growing heat on his face wasn't too visible.

 

"Goodnight you two! See you tomorrow, Norman!" Mabel called out into the chilly air of the night. The twins waved to them as they drove off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woooohooo here's the next chapter!!
> 
> Also, Wirt and Norman's relationship will be explained in the next chapter.


	3. Assigning the Roles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't tell lies, kids, don't do it. Because as far as Norman's concerned, lies escalate quickly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> back at it again with some mediocre fanfiction.

The ride home was relatively quiet. Norman couldn’t have been more grateful for that.

Wirt on the other hand… The silence was killing him.

He knew something was wrong. He could always tell when something was wrong. Ever since the spikey-haired teen first moved in when Wirt was in 5th grade, he’d known. Thankfully though, his curiosity earned him Norman’s friendship. And even though it was hard (the boy wasn’t an open book at all, especially when he first met him), Wirt knew, he always knew, when something sparked a change in the teen.

He turned the volume down on the radio as he made a turn onto the main road that ran through their neighborhood. Norman didn’t seem to notice, however, lost in thought as he gazed out the window. His blue eyes looked lost, as if he was searching for something he would never be able to find. His small, almost nonexistent frown and slightly furrowed eyebrows concerned Wirt.

He pulled into the driveway of his own house, parking but not turning off the engine. Norman was unfazed, apparently not even taking notice that they were already home.

After five minutes of silence, Wirt spoke up.

“Norman?”

No reply.

“Norman.”

Still, nothing.

“Are you mad at me or something?” Wirt asked, louder this time. Norman jumped at the question, blinking before looking at Wirt.

“Sorry, what?” He offered a small, tired smile. There we go, Wirt thought, back to normal, mostly.

The look of concern on Wirt’s face slowly dissipated with a sigh. “Tired?”

“Yeah.” The other simply respond. “I’m not good with this whole ‘being social’ thing.”

“Could have fooled me. The others practically love you already. Don’t be surprised when they’re all over you tomorrow, Mr. Popular.” The older teen joked, smiling.

“Ha ha, very funny. And I suppose they’ll be asking for an autograph, too?” Norman replied sarcastically.

The older teen laughed as Norman rolled his eyes, a smile on his face. Sometimes he forgot how easy it was to joke with Wirt. He barely got to hang out with him anymore, after they both entered high school. What used to be sleepovers and videogames after school slowly turned into stressful five-hour study sessions alone with the occasional text from the other. He missed those days. Now, the closest he gets to hanging out with Wirt is when the older teen helps him with his homework.

Suddenly, Norman was aware of the frown on his face and the concerned look Wirt was shooting him.

“Norman… Is there something or someone bothering you?” Wirt asks softly, worry lacing his features.

“I just… I got things on my mind, that’s all.” Norman shrugs, trying his best to force a genuine-looking smile.

Wirt frowns. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

But I don’t want to upset you, he could only think. He wished he could just spit it out already, just tell Wirt “Hey, so I have this crush on your boyfriend but I don’t know what to do about it – what do you think I should do?” because that felt a lot easier than just staying quiet about it.

In his case, it would be a lot easier said than done.

“I know,” he says instead. “But it’s just dumb stuff. You know, school and all that.”

The other teen didn’t seem too convince but accepted the answer anyway. It was nearly 10:30 after all, he knew they were both too tired to have a serious conversation about it. Besides, maybe Norman was telling the truth. Maybe he was just stressing over a history paper that was due soon or something.

“Well, hey,” Wirt put a hand on his shoulder. “If you ever feel too stressed about it, I’m always free to be your personal therapist.” Norman lets out a small, tired laugh and nods. 

Wirt turns off the engine as they both step out of the car and into the rather chilly night air. Norman rubbed his hands together to warm them as Wirt whispered a goodnight to him. Norman nodded and mouthed “night,” though he wasn’t sure Wirt could see it what with how dark it was.

The two parted ways, Wirt walking up the steps to his own house while Norman ran behind his house into the back door. The teen kept quiet as he entered, knowing that his parents would be a little peeved to learn that he had stayed out for too long.

Thankfully, his father was asleep on the couch in the living room. He was probably awaiting his arrival to give him some elaborate lecture about how he never stayed out that long when he was his age. The teen sighed. He really did not want to deal with that, especially with how his brain has basically turned to mush from how much he’s been thinking recently. 

He tiptoed up the stairs and made his way down the long narrow hall. He heard his mother softly snoring in his parents’ bedroom as he passed by. A small wave of guilt passed through him, knowing that he stayed out a little longer than she requested him to.

His bedroom door creaked open as he stepped in. A soft, green glow from the zombie posters he put up when he was twelve emitted a bit of light as he walked in. He didn’t bother with the lights as he flopped down face-first onto his bed.

For some time, he scrolled through some apps on his phone to relax a bit more. Though, as the clock hit 10:40, he was starting to find it easier to fall asleep than usual.

\--

It was around six in the morning when Norman woke up. He could’ve sworn he set an alarm for 4 a.m. to finish up his homework.

Apparently, he went as far as opening the alarm app he had on his phone but passed out before he could actually set an alarm. Good job, Norman.

He didn’t have time to dwell on it, though, knowing that he’d miss the bus if he didn’t get going. He went about his morning routine, brushing his teeth, taking a quick shower and putting on relatively clean clothes before racing downstairs to eat breakfast. 

Before he could step into the kitchen, he could already hear his father’s voice.

“Norman.” Perry didn’t even greet him good morning.

“Perry, dear please. Don’t start, it’s too early. Norman, honey, come eat breakfast with us.” Sandra gestured to the table and Norman checked the time on his phone.

“Sorry mom, I got to go. I’ll miss the bus if I don’t start walking now.” Sandra smiled sadly, though gave him a poptart and let him go on his way.

“You shouldn’t keep letting him off the hook like that…”

Norman sighed as he heard this from his father, running out the front door. Sometimes he really questioned if his father had a bad temper or just hated him in general. For the most part, it seemed like both.

He put in earphones to listen to music to drown out the sound of the rowdy kids on the bus. He seriously had no idea how any of these kids could be so energetic in the morning.

Thank god the bus ride was short, because even with his earbuds in and music blasting, he could still hear one of the seniors cursing out one of the juniors. Whatever the junior did couldn’t have been that serious for a fight to almost break out.

He made the silent journey to his locker, silently cursing some people for blocking the hallways.

“Norman!” Said teen turned when he heard his name being called. It was Neil, running up to him from behind.

“Hey Neil,” the teen greeted, flashing a smile.

“Dude, where were you last night? You weren’t answering your phone.” 

“Oh, I uh…” Had Neil really been texting him? More importantly, how did his miss that? Norman pulled out his phone to check his unread texts only to find that he had at least fifteen unread texts from the other teen, starting around 10:45 p.m. “I fell asleep…”

Neil laughed. “You? Sleeping that early? I’ll believe it when I see it.”

Norman offered a small smile. Neil knew him well, especially his sleep schedule.

“It’s true,” he defended. “I was, uh, over at someone else’s place for the majority of the day.”

Neil didn’t seem too convinced, but shot Norman a playful, questioning look.

“Really? Who’s place?”

“M-mabel’s.” He stuttered involuntarily. Jeez, why did he have to be that one person who always stutters even under the smallest amount of pressure?

Neil’s face lit up, knowing Mabel as a friend. He seemed more convinced this time, though pressing him for more details.

“You went over to Mabel’s house? Like Mabel Pines?” Norman nodded. “Why? Tutor session or something?”

“… Not exactly…” Norman wasn’t sure if it was okay to tell Neil it was a celebration. Neil was one of his closest friends and one of the very few people he told about his role in the school play, but he felt like Neil might take it personally that he went without him.

There was a very long pause between them, Norman wanting to stall for more time while Neil tried connecting it in his head.

“Wait… Don’t tell me… Oh my gosh, Norman!” The ginger exclaimed, face lifting into a huge smile.

“W-what?” Norman suddenly felt a wave of nervousness hit him. Whatever Neil had to say, it probably wasn’t going to be in his interests.

“It’s okay. I get it. If you needed some time with her, then you could’ve just told me!” Before Norman could even process what he was implying, Neil was already walking off with a huge grin on his face. He stopped momentarily to call out to him, “see you during English, okay?”

“Okay?” He called back, the word coming out a lot more confused than he wanted it to. Just what was Neil talking about? The “she” he was talking about was obviously Mabel… But the part about needed some time with her? What was that supposed to mean!?

He sighed. He’ll deal with it later. He needed to get to first period, anyway.

\--

Norman completely forgot about his dilemma, what with all the homework his teachers have been assigning him. It only occurred to him when he saw Wirt and Dipper walking to the cafeteria far ahead of him.

He gulped nervously, ducking his head and hoping they wouldn’t see him. Luckily, it worked. They turned left, taking the quickest route to the cafeteria. Norman turned right, deciding to take the long way, wanting to postpone this as much as he could before some security guard asked him where the hell he needed to be.

By the time he made it to the cafeteria, he had killed five minutes. Not a lot, but good enough. He’d only have to sit through twenty minutes of discomfort as opposed to twenty-five.

Sometime along the walk, an idea popped into his head. What if he just snuck past them and sat at his usual table alone? No, what was he thinking, that’s too obvious. Mabel would be able to spot him, especially with his “special” hair making him stand out hundred times more than he’d like.

Or maybe he could hide out in the bathroom… Actually never mind, the bathrooms here were gross. 

“Norman! There you are!” Mabel’s voice snapped him out of his train of thought. How long has he been standing by the door? No wonder some of the kids were looking at him weird. He watched as Mabel ran up to him with the biggest smile he’s ever seen on her face. “What happened? Teacher held you back or something?”

“… Yeah.” He answered simply. He didn’t want to tell her he’s been avoiding going to lunch.

“Oh, that’s too bad. You missed Wirt and Jason chug two bottles of water each.” She spoke like she’s never been sad in her entire life. Norman slightly envied her for that.

He laughed. “I think I’m okay with missing that.”

“Well you better not miss anything else! Come on, let’s go!” Mabel practically dragged him across the lunchroom to get to their table, he had a hard time dodging people seeing as he was taller than her. They reached the table with little disturbance – excluding the empty trash can he accidently knocked over while they were running – and just in time to see the group laughing and giggling over something Dipper did.

“Shut up! It was an honest-to-god mistake!” Dipper exclaimed, crossing his arms.

“Mhm. That ‘mistake’ sounded faker than me trying to convince people I’m completely straight.” Wirt teased as the others laughed.

“Hey guys! Look who showed up!” Mabel announced, grabbing their attention. She pushed Norman towards them and he stumbled forward, catching himself before he fell on top of the table. “And he’s better than ever!”

“Hi Norman,” Sarah greeted, flashing a smile at him. Jason, in turn, waved at him with a smile.

“H-hi.” Norman couldn’t bring himself to look at them, still a bit intimidated by these newer people.

“Psst! Norman, over here!” Norman shot his head up to find Dipper waving him over. Wirt was whispering something to Dipper, looking back and forth between his friend and his boyfriend. Dipper was shushing his boyfriend, still rapidly waving his hand. Norman followed without a second thought.

Norman could hear their side conversation the closer he got to them.

“What is it? Just tell me already, Norman wouldn’t mind, I know he wouldn’t. Especially with me!”

“But what if he does mind? I promised not to tell anyone, and I don’t plan on breaking that promise anytime soon!”

“Then ask him. I bet you he’ll say it’s fine!”

Norman wasn’t an idiot. And Wirt and Dipper weren’t exactly good at whispering quietly. It was obvious they were talking about the secret he had told Dipper yesterday night.

”Uh…”

“Norman!” Dipper jumped, not noticing his presence until just then. Norman rubbed the side of his arm, feeling a tad bit guilty for scaring him. He didn’t say a single word on it. “So, um, I was just wondering...”

Norman didn’t want to press him. In fact, he really wished he wasn’t being questioned at all. 

Wirt rolled his eyes at his boyfriend, who glared back at him. “Norman, could you please just tell me what’s bothering you? Dipper assumed I knew about it and tried asking me about it. Please, Norman? I promise I won’t judge you, you already know that.”

Dipper, with his arms still crossed, mumbled, “Way to be straightforward about it.”

Wirt ignored his boyfriend’s comment as he presses on. “Norman, please?”

Norman bit his lower lip. He’s never had a problem with telling his secrets to Wirt before, even the most embarrassing ones. But he’s never really had to tell him a fake secret.

“Uh… Well…”

Dipper seemed to sense how unprepared Norman was for the question. He shot Norman a look he couldn’t quite place – a look of pity, maybe – as he spoke up. “Do you want me to tell him for you? After all, I’m the one who accidentally told Wirt about it…”

The younger teen locked eyes with him. Dipper’s warm brown eyes were filled with guilt, as an apologetic look slipped onto his face. Norman couldn’t tell if that look was intentional or if he was just really easy to read. Nonetheless, it didn’t stop the warmness growing inside of him and the smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting from Dipper, but he never imagined that Dipper would feel so guilty about accidentally telling someone about his secret.

As cliché as the situation was, Dipper truly kept his promise about keeping his secret to himself – or at least, tried his best to. Norman wasn’t sure if he should take that as a personal thing or a thing Dipper would do with any of his friends.

“Y-yeah, sure,” Norman stuttered out and nodded.

Dipper looked a bit skeptical, but trusted the answer anyway. “Norman has a crush on someone. And I guess it was just bothering him?” He looked to Norman for confirmation that that was indeed what was going on. The teen merely shrugged. “I kinda… Well, sorta forced it out of him last night and that’s why I know about it.”

Wirt was silent for a second, which made Norman unbelievably nervous. Wirt knew him better than his own parents sometimes, so it wasn’t unlikely that the teen didn’t believe a single word of that “secret”. Norman bit down on his bottom lip once more, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

“Oh… How long have you had this crush?” Wirt’s eyes met his and in an instant Norman knew the lie fooled him as well. He let out a sigh, ignoring the feeling of guilt steadily growing inside of him.

“Uh… Not that long… It’s just been on my mind and all since I see hi—her everyday now sooo...” Norman shrugged, averting his eyes from Wirt’s curious gaze.

A silence filled the air between all three of them. Norman was thankful for that. He didn’t want to make the situation worse than it already is.

“… Is it okay to ask… Who it is?” Wirt’s soft voice interrupted the silence.

Never mind.

“Uh…” 

Oh god, he was in too deep now. Now he had to either make someone up or bring up some random girl who goes to their school. Either way, he was totally fucked. He was sure that if he made someone up, both Dipper and Wirt would be able to tell that he was lying. And he couldn’t just pick some random person to describe. He doesn’t pay attention to any of the other students after all, let alone the girls!

“Well, she’s…”

“Can we guess?” Dipper suddenly prompted, looking a little too eager to know who it is. “Just describe her, and we’ll try to figure it out!”

“Dipper.” Wirt whispered through gritted teeth, shoving his boyfriend in the side.

“Uh, sure?” Norman said in the heat of the moment. He mentally face-palmed. Why did I say that…!?

“Alright!” Dipper grinned at Wirt who rolled his eyes exasperatedly. If the situation was different, Norman would have smiled at Dipper’s stupid, cute face.

“She’s um…” Alright, alright don’t panic, just describe someone you know, just a person you know, they don’t have to be a girl. Norman closed his eyes, hoping it would be easier to describe someone that way. Dozens of people came to mind, mental portraits with little detail popped up in his head. The images seemed to be flipping and switching faster than he’d like, when suddenly his brain made up its mind.

“She’s short and has brown hair and brown eyes.”

Dipper.

Dipper was the only person he could think of in great detail. His soft, dimpled smile and messy, fluffy brown hair. Those eyes that made Norman look away and his face go red and his hands get all sweaty and gross every single time. He was seriously falling for the teen harder than he intended to.

“Aw come on, that’s not enough! There are a million girls at this school that have brown hair and brown eyes!” Dipper pouted. Wirt nudged him again, telling him to stop being so eager.

“Okay, okay…” Norman took a deep breath and closed his eyes once more. He ignored the image of Dipper that floated about his mind – he really need to get his hormones under control – as he thought up his ideal “type”. “She’s really smart and funny, um… She’s really sweet and… And uh… She has lunch this period…?” He hoped that would suffice for now. As for that last sentence, from just looking around the average-sized lunch room, he spotted a few brunettes that could surely fit the criteria.

“So wait,” Wirt spoke up, looking a bit confused (Norman didn’t blame him at all, he’s just as confused in all honesty). “She’s a short brunette with brown eyes, who’s really nice and funny, and is currently in this lunch period, yes?”

“Yeah…?”

“Do we know her?”

Norman looked up, his eyes hastily searching for a random brunette girl. His eyes landed on one a girl a few tables away from them. He’s seen her talking to Wirt before.

“Um… Yes.”

Wirt’s expression turned into one of shocked as he shot Dipper a look. In a matter of seconds, Dipper gets the same shocked look. The only difference is that Dipper looks more excited than Wirt. Those looks did not help Norman’s anxiety.

“Norman you…” Wirt spoke slowly, as if the wrong word could trigger something. “You have a crush on Mabel?”

A silence stood around them, none of them daring to speak up.

Norman stood there, unable to form words. He wasn’t sure if he should feel relieved that they had picked someone he actually knew or be deathly terrified that they were so close to the actual truth. His brain seemed to go with the latter. The thought of them figuring out his real secret was enough to force his lips to start moving. “N-no! I mean, I do like Mabel, bu-but not like tha—“

A huge grin grew on Dipper’s face, as he interrupted the younger teen. “Dude, it’s okay. I’m not like, weirded out, that you like my sister or whatever.” 

“But—“

Dipper shook his head, his grin changing into a small smirk. “It’s cool, really!” It became clear that no amount of denial would convince Dipper that it wasn’t Mabel. Dipper seemed to find it a little too amusing that Norman had a crush on his twin sister. “No wonder you were acting so weird at the celebration.”

You have no idea; Norman could only think to himself. He had no idea it was so obvious that something was bothering him. Was he really that easy to read? Or was that just Dipper? 

“So when are you gonna tell her?”

Norman froze. Even if it did have a crush on Mabel, he’d never find the courage to tell her!

“T-tell her?” He stuttered out. Dipper nodded eagerly, his grin retreating back into a genuine smile. “I never p-planned on telling her…”

He never planned for this single lie to escalate this quickly, is what he really meant.

“You’re in luck, then!” Both Norman and Wirt shot Dipper confused expressions. “Wirt and I can help you out with your love emergency.”

“Huh?” Dipper resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the dull answer.

“Hello! We can be your wingmen! It’s the perfect plan! All we have to do is to help her notice you. Or at least, more than she does now. You’ll win her over in no time!” Dipper explained enthusiastically. Wirt and Norman shared a look.

“Jeez, Dip, is Mabel rubbing off on you or something?” Wirt commented. “You’re not about to play matchmaker, are you?”

“No, of course not…” He paused, as if considering the idea in his head. “But that’s beside the point. If Mabel’s gonna date someone, it should at least be someone who’s just as nice and caring as her. And who could better fit the role than Norman?” Wirt seemed to be considering this as he nodded slowly in understanding.

Norman debated whether or not he should just start screaming right then and there or stay completely calm. Though he knew he couldn’t do either, even if he really wanted to. He dropped his head to stare at his old pair of red converse that he wore practically every day. He was glad Wirt and Dipper were engaged in their own conversation to pay any mind to him, because he really wasn’t sure if he could take any more of their questioning.

He took a deep breath. It wasn’t the end of the world – though, in his defense, dropping his toothbrush on the bathroom floor was the end of the world to him – he supposed it could always be worse. It was just a stupid lie, something that was probably going to be forgotten in a week or two. All he had to do was fake it until it slowly disappeared like it was never there to begin with.

Besides, there’s no way Dipper or Wirt is going to be his “wingmen” forever. They have to give up at some point. Now that he really thought about, what exactly was he worried about in the first place? Dipper finding out he had a crush on him? As if! He’s too busy caring about his “crush” on Mabel!

Norman’s train of thought is cut off when he hears a girlish squeal. His head shot up only to find Mabel with her arms wrapped tightly around a blonde girl – Pacifica, the one from the party. Both their faces showed pure joy, though Pacifica’s face was a little pink.

Dipper hummed, catching Norman’s attention. Norman’s eyes drifted to Mabel’s twin brother, who went from humming to clicking his tongue as he shook his head. 

“Looks like you have some competition, Norm.” He commented, as his eyes flickered back and forth between the Norman and Pacifica.

“You have no idea…” Norman muttered under his breath, his eyes lifting to look at Wirt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't been posting mostly because I had to make sure the plot made sense so.. .
> 
> btw mabifica is cool B))


	4. Playing the Part

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first day of drama club is both a blessing and a curse. Thankfully, Norman has a friend like Neil to confide in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh yeah. there's definitely pinescone in this chapter.

As much as Norman appreciated both Wirt and Dipper, they’ve become a lot more annoying now that they had a certain goal in mind.

Don’t get him wrong, he really did love the two, but Christ, they needed to calm down. Wirt and Dipper were probably more obsessed about his love life right now than his sister has been for the past few years. Their intentions were more or less in the right place, but their methods were just a tad bit infuriating.

It’s only been a few days – approximately four whole days – and Dipper and Wirt have been relentless in being Norman’s “wingmen”. Every chance they got, they made some small innocent comment about him in one way or another.

From complimenting Norman right in front of Mabel, to downright forcefully pushing them closer together, Dipper and Wirt have tried it all in the first four days. It’s gotten so bad, that even Sarah and Jason have been questioning him from time to time.

If Mabel has noticed by now – and Norman doubts she hasn’t – she either hasn’t said anything about it or is pretending to be oblivious to it all. But in all honesty, how could she be oblivious to it when all Wirt and Dipper did around her is shove comments about him down her throat.

Fortunately, today was the day Norman could hang out with Mabel for once without the other two interrupting her every sentence with another annoying observation about himself. Today was the first day of drama club rehearsals.

As per usual, the cast had to stay after school for a basic table run through of the script. Norman loved laid back days like these the most. It was the calm before the storm, the relaxing days before the hard work really kicked in.

Depending on the rest of the cast and who you ended up working with, these days were either fun or incredibly boring. Thankfully, today ended up being one of those fun days.

Mabel was quite energetic for most of the rehearsal. The entire time she was up and walking around, going through the script with little errors as she danced about the classroom, exaggerating her character’s reactions the best she could.

The cast, including the teachers, found it quite amusing. She had a gift for sure, and that gift was to naturally make people smile with her happy nature.

This was probably the most fun Norman has had in a while. The last time he ever felt this happy was a few years ago when his parents made him go to some random theatre camp.

Now that he thought about it, that camp was where he discovered his interest for theatre. It’s where he found out he had an interest in acting and being on stage, despite how nervous and shy he came off as. He wasn’t quite sure what about the subject was so intriguing to him, but it definitely sparked a new sense of motivation for him.

Nevertheless, getting into character and putting on a real act came to him easier than sleeping regularly did.

“Alright, you troublemakers, get out of here! You’re free to go!” One of the club supervisors yelled out as noisy students gathered their belongings and scurried out of the room. Some students decided to hang back to talk with the supervisors while others chatted with their friends or talked with Mabel about her hilarious performance.

Norman checked his phone for the time. It was 3:05 pm.

“Hey Norman!” Mabel exclaimed, walking up from behind him. “Have fun at rehearsals today?”

Norman laughed, nodding his head. “With your performance? Of course I did.” Mabel laughed in response.

The two chatted as they gathered their stuff, waving good-bye to the supervisors before stepping out of the classroom. They made their way to the main entrance of the school as Mabel vividly summarized their first drama club rehearsal.

“No, no, but nothing tops the look on Miss Claire’s face when I actually started crying!” The pair laughed as they stepped out into the damp air. It had been raining that morning, but students still loitered around like it was just another sunny summer day. They stopped at the top of the steps leading to the sidewalk.

Norman stopped as he examined the school parking lot. Students either got into their cars or hopped onto the late bus as other waited around for their ride. Every so often, a member from the track team would come jogging along the sidewalk. Norman really did appreciate the free atmosphere during this time of the school day.

“Oh! There they are!” Mabel piped up. Norman turned to look where she had waved some people over. Unsurprisingly, it was Wirt and Dipper, exiting the building.

Mabel started clicking her tongue as the two came closer to them, her eyes examining both boys. Norman watched her do this, then followed her eyes to the two boys. 

Their hair was messy, lips swollen, and eyes slightly glossy. As they came closer, Norman noticed a small patch of purple on Dipper’s neck that he was trying so hard to hide. No wonder Mabel was making such a disapproving face.

“So what were you two staying after school for, hmm?” Mabel prompted, raising an eyebrow at the two lovers.

“Studying.” Dipper replied a bit too quickly, averting his eyes from his sister’s unmerciful gaze. “For a test.”

“For what subject? Chemistry?” Mabel deadpanned. Norman couldn’t help but snort at the comment while Dipper and Wirt’s faces flushed.

“Shut your face – let’s just go already!” The slightly shorter of the two – by like half an inch – exclaimed, stubbly attempting to hide his beet red face.

Mabel rolled her eyes. “If you were going to make out, you could’ve just done it in Wirt’s car—“

“M-mabel!”

“What? I’m just saying, you had the option to make out in his car.” She put her hands on her hips, leaning forward into Dipper’s personal space.

Wirt rolled his eyes at Mabel’s challenging look – the look she always wore when she was about to pick a fight with her brother – and his boyfriend’s red face and defensive expression. The twins held each other’s gaze, almost as if they were engaged in the most intense staring contest to ever exist. “It was more convenient to just go to the school library. Though, I suppose you’re right. We could’ve made out in the back seat, or something.”

“Ha!” Mabel yelled in her brother’s face as he averted his gaze, a triumphant look on her own. Dipper shot Wirt an almost betrayed look, but his boyfriend was indifferent to it.

“Anyway,” Wirt decided to completely ignore the situation. “Shouldn’t we get going?”

The twins turned to nod at Wirt simultaneously. The oldest teen sighed, walking past the twins with his keys in his hands. Dipper stuck his tongue out at his sister before following his boyfriend.

Mabel returned the gesture, before turning her attention back to Norman. “So, do you have a ride or something?”

“Late bus.” Norman answered, pointing to the three buses parked along the side of the school.

“Oh.” She expressed her pity with that one word.

It wasn’t that the late bus was bad. It was horrifying.

It was every high school movie cliché pushed into one moving vehicle. Take it from someone who’s been taking the late bus since seventh grade. Norman absolutely hated it, but it wasn’t like he had a choice. Ever since his sister, Courtney, went off to college, his parents have been too busy with other jobs and hobbies to pick him up.

At least taking the late bus meant he’d be alone at home for a few hours.

The two shared a look of pity for Norman’s inevitable forty-minute bus ride just to get home.

“As a certified mom-friend, I can’t let you go through that pain. Come on, we’ll give you a ride.” Mabel said firmly, already grabbing Norman’s arm so that they could walk to Wirt’s car side by side.

“W-wait!” Norman didn’t move from his spot. “Y-you really don’t have to. I can just take the late bus—“

“Nonsense!” Mabel put her other hand on her hip, straightening her back as if to express her authority over him. It had little effect on Norman, considering he still had about four inches on her. “No buts except for yours in Wirt’s car right now!”

“B-but!” It was no use. Mabel was already pulling him forward and down the steps. She raced past the students waiting around for a ride or no apparent reason with Norman stumbling behind her. Norman wasn’t sure if she was a really fast runner or he was just really out of shape.

“… You know you’re really bad at hiding these…”

“S-shut up, asshole. I’m trying here…”

Norman and Mabel followed the voices as they came closer to Wirt’s car. Mabel made a comment about how far away Wirt parked, but the other didn’t reply.

“Oh god – Gross! Could you two maybe do this some other time!?” Mabel groaned, covering her eyes with her hands. Norman would have reacted the same if the situation was with different people.

He blushed, quickly averting his eyes, but the image still stayed in his mind. He wasn’t really sure how to feel, but then again, lately he hasn’t been sure what to feel. How does one react to their crush and childhood best friend making out?

Dipper leaning back against the side of Wirt’s car while Wirt kissed his throat, leaving marks. Despite the fact they’ve already been caught, Wirt didn’t let go of his boyfriend or move, period. Mabel continued to groan as Wirt peppered kisses all over Dipper’s face, finishing off with one final kiss to his boyfriend’s lips.

Wirt leaned away, though he still held Dipper close to him. Mabel made a gagging noise as her twin glared at her. That’s when Norman made the worst mistake of looking back then and there; He and Dipper slowly made eye contact. Long story, short, that was one of the most awkward moments of his entire life, and for a really awkward kid, that’s really saying something.

“It was his fault!” Dipper pointed to his boyfriend who finally let go of him. “H-he started it!”

“Guilty.” Wirt held both hands up as he spoke.

“You two just got done doing that like five minutes ago! Do you guys really want each other that bad!?” Mabel still held her hands over her eyes, despite knowing they had already stopped. 

“Well—“

“Wirt, shut up.”

“Never mind, let’s just go already.” Mabel sighed, turning away from the boys. “I offered Norman a ride home. Hope you don’t mind, Wirt. Actually, you owe both of us after that explicit scene.”

“O-of course you do, Wirt.” Norman quickly added. “I-I can always take the late bus, after all.”

The other three stared at him in slight shock from the uncharacteristic outburst, making him take a step back. Did he sound a little too pitiful?

A silence fell over the group as Norman averted his eyes.

“I don’t mind giving you a ride.” Wirt suddenly spoke up. 

“Oh.” It was the only word that Norman’s mouth could form.

“See? He’s totally cool with it!” Mabel smiled brightly at Norman. “Now, let’s go before those two start making out again – or worse.”

“We’re not that horny, gosh.” Dipper remarked, rolling his eyes.

“We kind of are—“

“Once again, Wirt, shut the hell up.” The shorter teen glared at his boyfriend, crossing his arms. The other simply shrugged. “Whatever, let’s go. I call shotgun!” The male twin was quick to run around to the other side of the car and get into the passenger seat.

“Hey! No fair, you cheated!” Mabel called as she ran around to the other side of the car as well.

Norman and Wirt exchanged a look before they both climbed into Wirt’s car.

When Norman got in, he was met with Dipper in the passenger seat and Mabel in the seat behind him, arguing. The male twin was turned around in the seat, directly facing his sister as he made sarcastic comebacks.

“Will you two chill out. And Dipper, turn around so we can go already.” Wirt said exasperatedly, starting the engine. The twins eventually calmed themselves down, going back to joking with each other sarcastically. Norman’s eyes met Wirt’s in the rearview mirror as Wirt backed out of the parking spot. “And yes, Norman, they’re always like this.”

Norman nodded, biting back a sarcastic comment of his own about how he wouldn’t be surprised.

Dipper and Mabel’s separate conversation suddenly became open to both Norman and Wirt as they drove away from the school.

“So Mabel, haven’t you noticed how pretty Norman’s eyes are?” Oh god. Here we go again.

Mabel laughed. “They are, yeah. How observant of you, Dipper.” Said teen grinned at the driver, who just rolled his eyes in response. Still, a small smile grew on Wirt’s face.

His gaze met Norman’s as he spoke confidently, not missing a beat. Each time he complemented Norman, or inserted a small comment about the youngest teen, Mabel would just laugh or agree. She was acting painfully oblivious and Norman wasn’t sure if he should be thankful for that or annoyed that it only egged Dipper on further.

“So how was play practice, anyway?” Dipper randomly brought up. His sister’s eyes lit up at her brother’s sudden interest in one of her favorite clubs, but Norman could tell Dipper didn’t entirely care about how their first meeting went.

“It was great, really!” Mabel rambled on in great detail about what happened but none of the boys were really listening. Norman was pretending to look out the window whilst sneaking glances at the stupid, cheeky looks Dipper sent his boyfriend from time to time. He tried his hardest to act oblivious to their conversation, but it was hard to pretend when Dipper complimented him every minute.

“I think you’ll do great in the play this year.” Dipper concluded, smiling at his twin who shot him a toothy grin in response. “Oh, and I bet Norman will, too. Speaking of which, Norman is a really good actor, isn’t he?”

Mabel laughed once more, but nodded her head. “Jeez, Dipper. You really gotta stop flirting with some other guy right in front of your boyfriend!” She barely finished her sentence before she and Wirt burst out laughing at her twin’s sudden horrified face.

“N-n-no I’m not! I’m just, uh, um…” Dipper couldn’t seem to find the right words as his eyes frantically searched the car as if it would inspire an excuse. His eyes soon landed on Norman’s face, who was beet red. That and the prolonged silence made his face go red in embarrassment. The male twin opened his mouth once more, yet nothing came out. Out of frustration and embarrassment, he whipped around in his seat and crossed his arms as the laughter died down.

Norman let out a small breath, his face still terribly red. Despite what just happened, he was thankful Dipper’s stupid small talk stopped.

A few minutes passed as a comfortable silence grew between the four teens. Dipper and Mabel resorted to distracting themselves with their phones while Norman stared out the window, getting lost in thought from time to time before reality hit him like a solid brick and he realizes where he is. The only thing getting him through this new experience is that at least he’s not riding the late bus.

At some point, Norman is brought back to his senses when a bright flash momentarily blinds him and he hears the click of a picture being taken. Across from him, Mabel is smiling at her phone screen.

“Perfect! This should be your new contact picture! Speaking of which, wanna exchange numbers?” Mabel spoke like she knew he was going to say yes – and in this case, of course he did. Norman handed her his phone as Mabel quickly put in his info on her phone, and then putting her own info into his phone.

When she had given it back to him, Mabel’s name and a heart emoji was entered into his contacts. He couldn’t stop the small smile from growing on his face.

“Hey, no fair, you guys are leaving me out of this?” Dipper spoke up, pulling up his contacts list. Mabel rolled her eyes before taking her brother’s phone to enter Norman’s info as a new contact. As she handed the phone back to her twin, Norman caught a glance at the contact name she had inputted.

It read his first name, of course. But at the end, Mabel had put in a heart emoji and a ghost emoji.

“A ghost emoji?” Dipper raised an eyebrow at his twin.

“I thought it’d be cute.” Mabel simply shrugged. “Norman’s spooky like that – but also totally cool.”

Dipper didn’t think much of it, that much was clear, what with the way he looked at it for a few seconds before carelessly shoving it into his pocket. Not even the heart emoji seemed to bother him. Norman bit his lip, willing the momentary warmness in his chest away.

Dipper reached for Wirt’s phone – Norman could feel some of that warmness already starting to slip away – and unlocked it.

“Don’t bother, his contact is already there.” Wirt commented as they turned the corner onto the street Wirt and Norman lived on.

The male brunette put on an exaggerated act of checking if it really was there, and when it was, Wirt rolled his eyes at him as he put the older teen’s phone back. 

Norman got out of the car as soon as they reached his house, quickly thanking Wirt and waving goodbye to the twins. In a matter of seconds, he had raced behind his house and in through the backdoor using the set of keys his parents gave him. 

As soon as he stepped into his room, he flopped face-first onto his bed. It had been a rather exciting day for him, and he was feeling very tired.

Though, instead of curling up on his bed and falling asleep right then and there – like he so desperately wanted to – he reached for his backpack and pulled out his notebook. He had a lot of homework to get done, anyway.

After about an hour and a half later, half of his homework was relatively done. He wore a bored expression on his face as he laid flat on his bed. A sudden ring from his phone made his flinch, giving him an unexpected mini heart attack for a second.

Neil: hey man  
Neil: how was drama club?

Norman smiled, somewhat relieved that Neil had texted him. There was no way he was going to finish the reading for English, so he figured he was done with his homework for the time being.

Norman: it was ok I guess  
Neil: what’s up?? Something wrong?  
Norman: no… not really  
Neil: so what happened

Norman let out a sigh. He mentally apologized to Neil in advance for involving him in his stupid problems.

Norman: so you know dipper and wirt right?  
Neil: yeah…?  
Norman: they think I have this huge crush on mabel and are trying to be my “wingmen” or whatever  
Norman: I mean they’re cool and all, but it’s getting really annoying

Seconds – maybe minutes – passed as Norman stared at his phone screen. Neil never took this long to reply. Maybe he’s having a hard time trying to make sense of the situation, too.

Norman: Neil?  
Neil: wait a minute… you *don’t* have a crush on mabel? you’re *not* dating her???

Norman blinked. What?

Norman: no!! of course not!!  
Norman: I mean i love the girl and all  
Norman: wait no that came out wrong  
Neil: bro you lost me

Suddenly, events from Friday morning came flooding back to Norman. No wonder Neil was acting so weird before first period.

Norman: you thought I had a crush on her too??  
Neil: sorry! but the way you described it when you told me was so…  
Neil: convincing?

Norman sighed. He should’ve saw that one coming.

Neil: anyway  
Neil: why do *they* think that tho?

Norman didn’t reply. On one hand, he could lie to Neil. But he’d rather drop out of school before he would ever lie to Neil. He could lie to anyone else on the planet but Neil.

On the other hand, though, he could just tell him the truth. It’s not like Neil would judge him, would he? Of course he wouldn’t, he’s Neil for crying out loud! The guy couldn’t judge a fly! 

And besides, he already knew that Norman was bisexual, and they’ve shared a bunch of personal stuff like that already. Stories that were so easy to judge, but neither of them ever did.

Neil: Norman?  
Neil: you there bro?

Norman resisted the urge to sigh again. Good thing Neil lived close by.

Norman: can I come over?   
Norman: it’s kind of a long story  
Neil: sure man

Without further conversation, Norman was on his bike, heading for Neil’s house.

\--

Norman got there in a matter of minutes. Neil lived a few streets over, and Norman could’ve easily walked, but it would be much easier and quicker to just take his bike.

Thankfully, Neil’s brother wasn’t home at the moment. Not like that mattered though. But it did give them much more privacy.

The story was short lived and not as exciting the way Norman explained it, but Neil seemed quite interested in it all. He was probably more interested in this love crisis than Norman was.

“Wow…” Was all Neil could say.

“Yeah…” Was all Norman could reply with. “This is a lot less serious than I’m making it out to be but… What if they found out? I mean, I’ve been friends with Wirt for who knows how long! He’ll probably be super pissed at me! And I’ve only just met Dipper! I don’t want to scare him off and lose his friendship! What if Mabel wants to stop being friends with me!? What if—“

“Norman, Norman!” Neil shook his friend by the shoulders. “Listen to me, Norman, they won’t hate you.”

The spikey-haired teen shot Neil an unsure look. “What if they do?”

“They won’t.” Neil reassured. “It’s a just a crush. Stuff like this happens all the time. Don’t beat yourself up about it.”

Norman took a deep breath. He was so thankful to have a friend like Neil. The ginger’s grip on Norman’s shoulders loosened slightly as he helped him calm down.

Maybe Neil was right. They couldn’t possible get mad over something like this, could they? Okay, maybe a little freaked out, or weirded out even. But definitely not angry, right?

Neil seemed to know what Norman was thinking at that very moment, as he said “They’re not going to be mad. But you’ll definitely be mad at yourself if you decide to keep this all a secret. At the very least, you have to clear up the lie about liking Mabel.”

Norman nodded slowly, though he was only half listening. His thoughts were still trying to collect themselves. Neil was right, he knew that much. But some irrational part of his mind was screaming “No! He’s wrong! They’ll hate me, they’ll hate me, they’ll hate me! I can never bring this up with anyone ever again!” Either way, he chose to keep his mouth shut.

“Oh no,” Neil muttered. “You’ve gone quiet again. What’s wrong, Norm?”

All Norman could do was shrug. A particular feeling seemed to be tugging at him with as much force as it could muster. It was a feeling he couldn’t describe, but he could sure as hell say he’s felt it before.

Anxiousness, butterflies, a bad feeling pooling at the pit of his stomach. His eyebrows furrowed and breathing normally felt like a chore. Thoughts raced through his mind like they were trying to run away from something. Like they were afraid. Like he was afraid. His heart was going a million miles an hour and it felt like he couldn’t shake it off until something happened. But what? He had no idea.

Neil seemed to sense something was wrong about Norman before the teen had the chance to explain. Instead of speaking, he wrapped his arms around his friend in a reassuring embrace.

Norman didn’t say another word, all too familiar with Neil’s hugs. Thankfully, it seemed to distract the feeling for a while. 

Neither teen said another word to each other as Neil let go. When Norman could make eye contact without being hesitant about it, Neil grinned.

“Did you finish all your homework?” He asked, his usual friendly demeanor taking the place of the serious one he had moments ago.

Norman nodded. “Sorta. I have to finish reading the pages for English—“

“Good enough for me!” With that Neil got up and grabbed two controllers, tossing one to Norman. As his Xbox loaded up, Norman raised an eyebrow at him. “Dead or Alive versus mode?”

A smile appeared on Norman’s face. Any hint of worry or fear completely left him, in favor of living in the moment.

“You are so on.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i took so long to update because i was still working out the plot. so yeah, this will end up being arounnnnnnd 14-15 chapters!!


	5. Rehearsals Week 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> paz is gay. that's all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW OK SO DISREGARD THE FACT THAT IT'S BEEN MONTHS BECAUSE I HAVE A VERY SMALL SOMEWHAT REASONABLE EXCUSE
> 
> so the file that I wrote the ENTIRE plot down on was like """"deleted""" so I was super fucking pissed and I had 0 idea what I was supposed to write next UNTIL NOW BC I REALIZED IT'S BEEN SITTING IN THE RECYCLING BIN FOR LIKE MONTHS AND I NEVER ACTUALLY DELETED IT FR
> 
> alright im v v very sorry pls carry on

“Smile!” _Snap_. “Perfect!”

 

Pacifica’s smile didn’t fade as she leaned closer to Mabel. _To get a better look at the picture_ , was her excuse.

 

The shot was of the two girls, the phone being held up high in the air, looking down at them. One of Mabel’s arms were cut out of the shot – the one holding the camera of course – while the other was lazily thrown over Pacifica’s shoulders. Pacifica was leaning into Mabel’s side, her own phone resting in her lap as the picture was being taken. The brunette’s smile was wild and all too Mabel-like, while Pacifica’s was uncharacteristically genuine and warm.

 

It was the smile she saved for Mabel’s silly selfies only.

 

It was a usual Saturday afternoon. Mabel and Pacifica were lounging in Mabel’s bedroom, as per Mabel’s request. Any other Saturday, they would be hanging out at Pacifica’s mansion, as her parents weren’t around much these days.

 

Not that getting her parents’ permission to have a friend over mattered. It never mattered anymore, not since she was thirteen. When Pacifica turned thirteen, it was as if her parents suddenly saw her as an adult. Not in a proud way, oh no, but in a business way. They treated her as if she was just another one of their rich friends, who admittedly, weren’t even seen as friends, more like opportunity for profit. They soon stopped caring what she did and who she hung out with in favor of traveling the world like they always wanted to. That’s precisely why Mabel was always hanging out at Pacifica’s. With her parents gone ten out of the twelve months of each year, it was as if she practically owned the fancy mansion.

 

Her friends didn’t seem to care either, albeit they weren’t her closest. They admired Mabel’s confidence for a girl who wore brightly colored sweaters and socks. In the words of her friend, Tiffany, “Just don’t invite her to any of my parties.”

 

Pacifica would never do that to her. To Mabel, she meant, not Tiffany. She would never subject Mabel to five consistent hours of Top 40 music while rich people talked about the newest additions to their wardrobes.

 

Mabel’s giggling interrupted her train of thought. The blonde shook her head, bringing her attention to the giggly brunette in front of her. Their gazes met, and Pacifica could’ve sworn Mabel’s eyes lit up more than they usually were.

 

“What?” She raised an eyebrow at Mabel, her smile growing.

 

Without another word, Mabel took a quick picture of Pacifica’s expression right then and there. The blonde blinked, her face going pink. She was still too in shock to say something.

 

Mabel pulled up the picture to see how it turned out. “Aww, it’s perfect! It’s settled, this’ll be my new lock screen.” The girl started humming a familiar tune as she set her new lock screen, then going through the new photos once more.

 

Pacifica smiled as she watched Mabel scroll through her camera roll. She wasn’t sure what it was, but something about the girl made her feel all warm inside. But that was totally normal, right? To feel that way about a friend? A really... _really_ close friend? Didn’t that mean that you cared for them, or something?

 

Of course Pacifica cared about Mabel. She was pretty sure she cared about Mabel more than she cared about herself. If something were to happen to the brunette, or someone were to get between them, she wasn’t sure what she would do.

 

Pacifica blinked, suddenly coming back to reality. Oh god, was she staring again? Her face flushed as she averted her eyes. Hopefully, Mabel didn’t notice.

 

Pacifica looked around the girl’s room once more, distracting herself from the embarrassment she was feeling. A comfortable silence formed between the two girls.

 

_Bang_. “W-wirt—!” _Bang._ “Stop!”

 

The two girls’ heads immediately shot up at the loud crashing sounds coming from downstairs. A concerned look formed on Mabel’s face as she stood up, offering a hand to Pacifica. The blonde took it with an exasperated sigh.

 

\--

 

“What the hell is going on down here!?” Was the first thing out of Pacifica’s mouth as soon as she set foot in the living room. Her annoyed expression deepened when her eyes landed on Dipper and Wirt on the floor, popcorn _everywhere_.

 

Wirt had Dipper pinned to the floor under him, a half-full bowl of popcorn next to them. Pacifica assumed they were wrestling – and they better have been wrestling and not something completely inappropriate – though she was extremely confused as to why there was a mess of popcorn everywhere.

 

“Wirt, I swear, if you— _mphf!_ ” Said teen quickly shut up his boyfriend with a sudden kiss to his lips.

 

“Could you two stop making out for once!?” Mabel groaned, shielding her eyes with her hands. “And why is there popcorn everywhere!?”

 

Wirt climbed off of his boyfriend when he realized they were no longer alone. Dipper sat up, crossing his arms as he glared at Wirt. “You ass! You made a fucking mess!” He complained, brushing the popcorn residue off of him.

 

The taller teen merely shrugged. “Next time, don’t be too cocky then.” A small smirk grew on Wirt’s face. He made eye contact with his boyfriend’s twin – who was silently begging for a plausible reason to the mess in the living room – and his smile grew a little more. “Your stupid brother tried to convince me he’d top during sex with the most conceited reason ever.”

 

Dipper opened his mouth to retaliate, “I still think I would—!”

 

“That’s total bullshit and you and I both know that, Dip.” He retorted.

 

“At least you guys weren’t _actually_ having sex.” Mabel spoke like it was the most normal sentence she has ever said. Though, Pacifica nodded in honest agreement. The brunette walked over to the half-full bowl of popcorn and picked it up. “I still don’t get how the popcorn ended up everywhere…”

 

The female twin took a handful and shoved it into her mouth, offering some to the blonde. A look of disgust formed on the blonde’s face as she declined the offer.

 

“It fell off the table when I wrestled Dipper to the floor.” Wirt shrugged, standing up and offering a hand to his slightly pissed boyfriend.

 

Dipper stuck his tongue out at the taller teen.

 

Mabel hummed, suddenly glancing over to the big television screen in front of them, paused at the beginning of a movie.

 

“Oh! Are you guys watching SupernatuRiley? I love that movie!” She grabbed Pacifica’s arm, leading her over to the couch where she promptly sat down, the blonde following her lead.

 

Without a second thought, Mabel reached for the remote, about to press play before her brother rudely stepped in front of her.

 

“Woah, woah, woah, who said you could watch it without us?” He folded his arms over his chest.

 

“I wasn’t going to play it,” an obvious lie, “Besides, you and Wirt need to clean up all this popcorn!” She gestured to the mess on the carpet.

 

Dipper groaned. “But that’s not even my _fault_!”

 

“I don’t care, Dipshit. You know mom and dad are gonna be pissed as hell if they knew you guys made a mess all over the carpet.” Dipper paused, groaning once more because she was right. They _would_ be pissed, and he did not want to deal with another lecture about how irresponsible he was.

 

Reluctantly, Dipper bent over to gather a pile in his hands. “Wirt, could you get a plastic bag or something? There’s a _lot_ of popcorn.” Wirt could practically taste the salt in his tone as he glared at him.

 

“On it.” The taller teen mumbled, leaving the living room as quickly as possible.

 

“I won’t play the movie until you guys are done, if that makes you feel any better!” Mabel called as Dipper followed his boyfriend into the kitchen, probably to have a “talk” with him.

 

“It doesn’t!” Her twin called back, and Mabel rolled her eyes.

 

“I love my brother, but sometimes he’s the most stubborn human being on this planet.” Mabel sighed, her phone going off, signaling she was sent a text.

 

_Norman: you have Mrs. G for graphic design, right?_

Mabel: mhm

Mabel: why

_Norman: we didn’t have an assignment over the weekend did we??_

Mabel: nope

_Norman: oh ok_

_Noman: thanks_

Mabel: no prob bob

Pacifica glanced over at Mabel’s phone. The teen usually didn’t care if Pacifica read her text messages. In fact, she titled her phone so that the blonde could see the screen better.

 

“Norman?” The blonde asked bluntly.

 

“From the party. The one with spikey hair.” Mabel replied, not taking her eyes off of the phone screen.

 

_Well, no wonder that name sounded familiar_. Pacifica hummed in response.

 

Mabel: oh!!! if you’re not busy

Mabel: you should come over

Mabel: we’re watching SupernatuRiley

_Norman: “we”?_

Mabel: Paz and I

Mabel: and Dipper and Wirt obvi

_Norman: oh_

_Oh?_ Pacifica’s eyebrows furrowed. _What was that supposed to mean?_

 

Mabel: lol I think we interrupted their date tho

Mabel: And made it a double date!!!

_Norman: haha_

Pacifica blushed, her previous thought process immediately disappearing. The way Mabel grinned at her was all she could think about. A double date!? She never considered hanging out with Mabel to be _dates_. Did Mabel consider them that? Should she be worried? Oh gosh, why was she feeling so anxious all of a sudden?

 

Mabel: so??

Mabel: you up for it??

_Norman: sure I guess_

_Norman: my mom was heading to the grocery store anyway_

_Norman: I’ll be there in 10 mins_

Mabel: yay!!

 

“Dipper, Wirt! Hurry up, Norman’s coming over!” Mabel called. A series of crashes and bangs followed as a response, before the two lover quickly emerged from the kitchen. “Jesus fucking _Christ_ , can you two just clean this mess up without making out or something!?”

 

Both flustered, the boys nodded and proceeded to clean up the mess in silence.

 

\--

 

An hour later, they’re thirty minutes into the movie. Norman arrived shortly after Dipper and Wirt finished cleaning the mess. Currently, he, Mabel, and Pacifica were sitting next to each other on the three seater – well, more like Pacifica and Norman are acting as Mabel’s pillows. The brunette laid her head on the blonde’s lap while Norman acted as a pillow for her legs. Meanwhile, Dipper and Wirt were sitting on the love seat to their right, all but cuddling to their hearts content.

 

Pacifica hasn’t really been paying attention to the movie. It was interesting, but the last time she saw the movie was in eighth grade. She did admire the animated style, however, but other than that, there was nothing keeping her hooked in.

 

Instead, she busied herself by observing the kid with spikey hair.

 

It wasn’t unusual to observe people you don’t know, right? To her, it wasn’t. That way, she could figure them about before deciding whether to befriend them or not. She had a talent for it, if you could consider it one. When she first met the Pines twins, she could easily figure them out. Same with her other friends and Wirt. Heck, sometimes she could read _strangers_ like an open book!

 

But for some reason, she couldn’t figure this new kid out at all!

 

He was a quiet, shy kid, that’s about all he could get from him. Not super tense, nor too relaxed from what she could gather from watching him. But then again, that was kind of hard to do when all they were doing was watching a movie. The guy – _Norman_ , she learned to remember, was harder to crack than she previously thought.

 

Dipper sighed as the main character of movie walked off screen. “Man, if I ever meet someone who can see ghosts, I swear I’ll marry them in a heartbeat. No offense, Wirt.”

 

“None taken.”

 

There was a beat of silence before Mabel grinned, speaking up. “Really? _Anyone_?”

 

“Uh, yeah. I mean, they can see ghosts! That’s so fucking cool!” Her brother, clearly excited, unfortunately missed the playful grin on her face.

 

“What if they were one of the most wanted people in America?”

 

“I wouldn’t blame them. The government would probably be out to get you if you could see ghosts for real.”

 

“An alien?”

 

“They doesn’t count. All aliens can probably communicate with the dead anyway.”

 

“What about Pacifica?”

 

At that very moment, said blonde and Dipper mad eye contact, causing the two to cringe and look away from each other as quickly as possible.

 

“Um, no.” Dipper pretended to gag. “While seeing ghosts might be cool, there has to be some exceptions.”

 

“Likewise, Dip-shit. I wouldn’t marry you if we were the last two people on earth!” Pacifica retorted, making both Mabel and Wirt laugh.

 

“Alright, then _who_? And it can’t be Wirt!”

 

“Hmm…” Her brother sat for a moment, seriously thinking it over. He only knew a handful of people, and 75% of those people were either related to him, identified as a girl, or was Wirt. “I guess…”

 

If he had to choose, it’d probably be…

 

“Norman.”

 

Said teen’s face flushed as soon as he heard his name come out of Dipper’s mouth.

 

“Really? So if Norman could see ghosts, you would drop everything with Wirt and propose on the spot?”

 

“I mean, when you put it that way…” His eyes drifted to Wirt’s, who in turn rolled his eyes. “Yes, yeah, I honestly would.” He confirmed shamelessly, nodding his head.

 

“I guess that makes you and Norm here fake married!” Mabel squealed at the thought.

 

“But I can’t even see ghosts?” Norman added weakly, though he looked like he was in no way against this.

 

“Doesn’t matter. In some universe, you probably do.” The female twin shrugged.

 

“Fake married, huh?” Wirt chuckled.

 

“I call planning the wedding!” Mabel beamed with genuine excitement.

 

“Oh Normy!” Dipper sang, causing Norman’s face to heat up even more. “Where will we have our honeymoon?” He fluttered his eyelashes at his fake husband, making the others laugh.

 

Norman merely laughed – a forced laugh that went unnoticed by everyone except Pacifica – as the main character came back on screen.

 

Something about the way he reacted to the scenario stood out to the blonde. Of course, if it was herself and Mabel instead of Norman and Dipper, she’d probably react the same way.

 

Annoyed wasn’t the word for it… Uncomfortable, maybe? Nevertheless, there was no doubt in her mind that Dipper or Wirt – possibly both of them – had some sort of effect on the teen.

 

Not saying she’s determined to find out exactly what that was… But perhaps, she’s a bit interested in this kid.

 

\--

 

“Norman!” Mabel called out to the spikey-haired teen currently at his locker. “Wait up! Let’s walk together!”

 

The brunette’s smile was as bright as always as she approached the younger teen. However, this time a familiar blonde followed behind her.

 

Their eyes met for a second, a sort of awkward tension of “we both know Mabel but not each other” filled the air between them. Mabel was quick to sense this as she stepped aside to introduce Pacifica’s reason for being there.

 

“Paz and I are hanging out later but since we have drama club she said she’d wait and watch.” The brunette explained, though it barely helped the awkwardness between them. They were both polite as ever, but as Mabel feared, they were both terribly anti-social and had no idea how to start a conversation.

 

Practice proceeded as usual, the ensemble and the main roles practicing their duets, solos, and other songs. Norman did fine the entire practice, though he couldn’t help but feel someone was watching him the entire time.

 

Every so often, Norman would look around, only to find the blonde watching him. Maybe he was just being paranoid, for all he knew maybe she was just watching Mabel, but every single time he looked up, her eyes would avert somewhere random.

 

By the end of practice, he was completely sure she was sneaking weird glances at him, if not outright staring at him. He wasn’t exactly sure what to make of it, but he didn’t mention it at all to her.

 

“So, Pacifica!” Mabel took a sip from her water bottle. “How was our singing? Pretty good, huh?”

 

“Perfect.” Pacifica smiled, her eyes flickering between the two club members. “Both of you were amazing.”

 

Norman thanked her. _That probably explained the weird staring…?_

 

The silence between them was still as awkward as ever, and Mabel wasn’t sure how long she could take it.

 

“So Norman,” she said, breaking the silence as she collected her things. “Pacifica’s a junior like Dip and I. I’m sure you’ve met her before, at least not in person.”

 

Norman hummed. He stared at Pacifica for what seemed like forever, but alas no avail.

 

“… You sure? I’m pretty sure this is the first time…”

 

“You know,” Mabel egged him on. “Herparentsarerich.”

 

Norman stared blankly.

 

She sighed. “Her last name is Northwest?”

 

“Mabel,” Pacifica mumbled, hoping that was hint enough for her to stop.

 

Norman’s blank expression changed into one of surprise. “Oh. Ohhh. You’ve starred in that cereal commercial, right?”

 

Mabel couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Her parents are kind of a big deal around here, Norm.”

 

“Oh.” Suddenly every memory of seeing the word “Northwest” printed on everything hit him and he turned red. “Oh my gosh, wait. I— I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s… It’s fine.” Norman looked down at his shoes, completely missing the genuine shock on her face.

 

_He… Didn’t know who I was?_ She couldn’t help but feel a bit thankful, as if some sort of weight was lifted off of her shoulders. She smiled at the shy teen in front of him.

 

“Well, now that you know – or _learned_ – a thing or two about Paz, it’s time for her to get to know you!” Mabel clapped her hands together, smiling wide. She turned to the blonde and gestured to Norman. “Norm here is childhood friends with Wirt. Other than drama club, that’s why we know him!”

 

“Wirt, huh?” He nodded. “I bet he was a nerdy kid, wasn’t he?”

 

Norman laughed. “You have no idea.”

 

The teens laughed, continuing with small talk as they finished grabbing their stuff.

 

The chilly October air wasn’t a bother to them as they stepped outside. Norman said his goodbyes rather quickly, explaining that he didn’t want to miss the late bus.

 

“Late bus?” The blonde questioned. Norman sighed, pointing to the two buses parked by the side of the school. Her nose wrinkled at the unbelievable number of students climbing into the bus. “Ew, gross. Why don’t we just give you a ride, I feel personally offended that you have to ride that.”

 

“It’s fine,” the teen excused himself. “I really don’t want to be a burden. Anyway, I better get going before all the seats get taken. I’ll see you guys later, though.” He smiled and waved goodbye before getting in line with the other students.

 

Pacifica furrowed her eyebrows. If she had to choose between that disaster or a car, she’d definitely go with that car.

 

Mabel sighed, getting her attention. “I guess there’s no helping it. Norman does this a lot, even when Wirt can give him a ride after every practice. Lately he’s been denying more than accepting the offers. Anyway, let’s go. I saw something at the mall the other day that was perfect for you.”

 

Even as the pair was ready to go in Pacifica’s car, the blonde didn’t leave. Instead she waited, watching the late bus leave, something clearly bothering her.

 

“What’s up?” The brunette asked, giving her full attention to the blonde. “Thinking about Norman, huh? He’s a good guy, just a little reserved, I guess. Like you, sort of. Once you get to know him, he’ll be one of the coolest guys you know. What do you think, though?”

 

The pair sat in silence for some time. “He’s… Yeah, I agree. It’s okay, it was nothing, let’s just get going.”

 

Mabel could clearly tell it was much more than that, though she didn’t pry for details. She knew that as soon as Paz got to know him, they’d be great friends.

 

She grinned at the blonde as she took off towards the mall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sO! im posting two chapters at once bc let's be honestly yall deSERVE it so uh yeah there will definitely be a conclusion to this whole story so pls forgive me ;u;


	6. Rehearsals Week 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Courtney is a really great big sister and Pacifica learns a thing or two about Norman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ayyyyeeee courtney's here!!!!!!! honestly she's not much of a main character but i love her anyways

It’s been weeks since Norman discovered his crush for a certain short brunet. And believe him when he says a lot can happen in those weeks.

 

After being around Dipper and Wirt and their friends, Norman’s learned something; you just have to constantly roll with it.

 

After only a month, Norman’s learned more about these guys than he’s learned about himself over the past five years. And by learned, he really means _experienced_.

 

Things like Jason and Sarah’s tater tot Tuesday wars, or their stupid bets. Even Wirt and Dipper’s lovey-dovey antics that drive the others nuts don’t seem to bother him anymore.

 

If one thing’s for sure, it’s definitely how close he’s gotten to Dipper. While he was pretty close to the others, he’s pretty sure he knows Dipper just about as much as he knows Wirt. And that’s really saying something, considering how long he’s known Wirt compared to how long he’s known Dipper.

 

He’s not going to lie; his feeling for Dipper have not been extinguished at all. In fact, they’ve probably grown stronger now that he knows Dipper so well.

 

But maybe – just maybe – his feelings for Dipper have become so strong that he’d never bring himself to break his relationship with Wirt. Not that he was ever going to do that in the first place, but maybe – _just maybe_ – he’s finally coming to terms with their relationship. Nothing about them being together was shocking or envious anymore. He’s comfortable being around them, even with their sickeningly sweet couple antics.

 

He’s not 100% sure, but he’s hoping he will be soon.

 

“—and I heard rumors of a giant high school party probably around November. Though, I heard from Pacifica that the guy’s a total dick, so I’m not even sure if I’m gonna go.” There was no reply from the spikey-haired teen. “Norman? Hello? Earth to Norman!”

 

He blinked, his attention quickly turning to the brunette. “Huh? Oh sorry, was I spacing out again?”

 

“Yes you were, mister!” Her smile let him know she didn’t mind. “You’ve been spacing out so much lately, it’s like— It’s almost like you’re thinking about someone! A crush, huh?” She laughed, nudging him with her elbow.

 

“Hah… Something like that…” He excused, averting his eyes.

 

“One day, you just _have_ to tell me! Don’t worry, I’m kind of a love expert.” The brunette winked, making Norman laugh.

 

“Will do.”

 

She smiled stepping out of the school building. “Well, see you tomorrow! Are you sure you don’t want a ride?”

 

“I’m fine. Thanks though. See you tomorrow.” He smiled at her once more before she ran off towards her friend’s car.

 

As soon as Norman steps into his house, he’s greeted with _Hit Me Baby One More Time_ , and he immediately registered it as Courtney calling.

 

“ _What’s up bestie!?”_

Norman snorted. “Hi Courtney.” He walked up the stairs to his bedroom, feeling a little tired, though his sister’s familiar voice is enough to keep him awake.

 

He threw his book bag by his bed and plopped himself on top of his comforter.

 

“ _’Hi Courtney’? Is that really the best you can do? C’mon I haven’t heard your voice in two months and this is how you greet me!?”_ Her tone was nothing more than fake annoyance, but Norman appreciated it anyway. He missed hearing her bossy voice, too.

 

“Hey bestie!” He replied, attempting to do an impression of her. She laughed in response, making him smile.

 

“ _That’s what I like to hear!”_ Norman sighed, the smile never leaving his face. “ _Anyway, sorry for missing September’s daily check in. My college life has been pretty busy_.”

 

Norman snorted once more. “Which part? Your studying life or your partying life?”

 

“ _Both, you brat._ ” He could feel her smiling. “ _O-M-G. Wait! I never told you what happened with Steven and Tina, did I?”_

“I don’t believe so. Wait nerd Steven or jock Steven?”

 

_“Here’s the funny part. It’s about both of them and Tina!”_

“What?” He laughed as she excitedly told the story.

 

These calls came every month since Courtney left for college. According to her, she couldn’t her little brother go just like that. Plus, she explained that – and he quotes – “there is absolutely no way I’m missing his embarrassing teenage years!”

 

Their calls usually consisted on school gossip on both their parts, followed by a little check up on how each of them were doing in school and most importantly—

 

How their love lives were going.

 

“ _Who knew jock Steven was into nerd Steven!?”_

“Seriously?” Norman would never admit this to anyone, but he kind of took their gossiping way too seriously. “I mean, Tina was kind of a bitch, so I guess it’s understandable why he left her for nerd Steven.”

 

“ _That’s what I said! Besides, they’re much cuter together._ ” A comfortable silence formed between them as Norman traced shapes into his comforter waiting for another conversation to spark. “ _Speaking of which, how about you Norm? Anything new with your love life?”_

He sighed. “ _Hey, you know I was gonna ask eventually!”_

“I know, I know… It’s just that… It’s complicated.”

 

“ _What’s complicated?_ ”

 

Norman didn’t like to lie to her. There was always a good chance she’d figure out the truth anyway. “Okay so I might have a crush on this boy…”

 

He had to hold the phone away from his ear to prevent her high-pitched squealing from breaking his eardrums. When he knew it was safe to go on, he held the phone closer to his ear, just in time to hear his sister going on and on about the topic.

 

“ _—cute! O-M-G, what’s he like? Is he into sports? Poetry? Oh, that’s so romantic! You have to give me the deets, pronto! I want to meet him as soon as I can!”_

“Courtney— _Courtney,_ please! Hold on, hold on! I can’t understand you. Talk slower.”

 

“ _No need for that! Just explain your new boyfriend to me!_ ”

 

Norman’s face went red at the thought. “Well for starters, he’s not my boyfriend, okay? I only said I had a crush on him.”

 

“ _What!? Who wouldn’t date my adorable little brother? This guy better have a damn good reason—“_

“Courtney, he’s dating someone already.” He deadpanned and the line went silent.

 

“ _Oh._ ” Norman closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “ _That kind of sucks, but don’t feel discouraged. I mean, who is this guy anyway? He’s probably not worth your time._ ”

 

“He’s…” The teen couldn’t bring himself to agree with her, nor defend Dipper. “Do you remember Wirt? You know, that kid who liked poetry?”

 

 “ _Wirt? That kid who I found reciting poetry to you, and I thought he was trying to ask you out?_ _You have a crush on_ him _?_ ” Norman’s face went red. He remembered that day like it was yesterday. They were both in sixth grade when it happened. Wirt used to always share his poetry back then.

 

They were sitting in Norman’s room that day after school. Wirt was reciting a new piece he wrote during school – one that was a bit romantic, but neither of them minded much about it. Halfway through the poem, Courtney came busting in, gushing about how cute they were together and why Wirt didn’t ask her little brother out sooner. At the time, neither of the boys considered themselves anything but straight and long story, short, dinner was a nightmare of awkwardness.

 

“Y-yeah, that guy. Bu-but he’s not the one I have a crush on!” Norman was quick to add in that next sentence.

 

“ _Aww, what? I thought you guys would_ eventually _end up together!_ ” Norman’s blush darkened, as he hurriedly said her name as a way to shut her up. “ _Okay, if it’s not him, then what about him?_ ”

 

“He’s dating the guy I have a crush on…” Norman mumbled, playing with the hem of his shirt.

 

“ _O. M. G. Talk about plot twist! Weren’t you guys, like, super close when you were younger?_ ”

 

“Yeah… It surprised me, too. He never told me he got a boyfriend.” The realization hit him a bit harder then he thought. While Wirt wasn’t obligated to tell him, they’ve been friends for some time now. It would’ve been nice to know…

 

“ _Wow… I’m guessing that’s why you don’t want to get between them?”_ Norman could almost hear the sympathy in her voice.

 

“Of course I don’t!” Norman sighed, rolling over onto his side. “Sorry… I don’t know what I’m doing, this is stupid.”

 

“ _It’s not stupid, Norm. Come on, I was a teenager too._ ” He didn’t respond. “ _Remember your friend’s brother? The ginger?”_

“Neil.” The teen corrected.

 

“ _Yeah, that kid. Remember how I was super into his older brother? But he ended up having a boyfriend?_ ” Norman nodded, though he knew she couldn’t see him. “ _I was a little heartbroken, too. But I got over it, and so will you. Just give it a little time. And who knows, maybe the guy will just drop everything with Wirt one day and you’ll be there to comfort him and win his heart!”_

“But I wouldn’t want to do that to Wirt…”

 

She paused. “ _Then in that case, just forget the guy! Who needs him anyway. You have Wirt! Not saying that you should date him instead, but—_ “

 

“You’re totally saying that.” Norman rolled his eyes but smiled anyway.

 

“ _Maybe I am, but wouldn’t you rather date him over the guy that broke his heart! Aren’t you guys, like, besties?_ ” Her conclusion made his cheeks flush pink. “ _Oh shit, I gotta get going. I’ll talk to you later, Norm. I promise you, this will all get better in no time! Later, bestie!_ ”

 

“Later.” The smile on his face slowly started to slip off as she hung up.

 

He’s not going to lie; of course, he’s thought about what it would be like if he and Wirt ended up together. He’s always imagined they’d be happy together, considering they were close friends once.

 

But if what Courtney said did end up happening, would he really want that? How could he be completely sure that his feelings for Dipper would go away, even if he broke Wirt’s heart?

 

What was he saying!? Of course they’d go away! Who’d want to be with someone who cheats on their lover, anyway?

 

It’s impossible to think about it, though. Dipper doesn’t seem like the type to ever do that ever in his life.

 

Though, if what Courtney said is true – that it’ll get better with time – what exactly will change to make this situation better?

 

\--

 

Walks were never Pacifica’s thing. The very thought of being outside for more than a few hours, completely exposed to the world, to nature, made her cringe.

 

But sometimes, she makes exceptions.

 

Besides, it’s not like the entire world would find her walking to an abandoned park.

 

Too many things have been on her mind lately. School, Mabel, her parents, Mabel, that Norman kid, Mabel… Oh and did she mention Mabel?

 

It’s ridiculous! She’s pretty sure it’s not normal to be thinking about your best friend every second of every day, imagining scenarios, and reminiscing about the little things she does when she thinks you’re not paying attention to her—

 

There she goes again.

 

For example, that very afternoon…

 

“ _I gotta go, Paz. I have a_ bunch _of assignments to finish up. See you tomorrow. I love you!_ ”

 

Her voice got stuck in her throat for some reason beyond her. Instead of replying she smiled and waved her goodbye.

 

They were video chatting like any other day. It wasn’t unusual for Mabel to say things like “I love you” to Pacifica, especially when she has to leave. But for some reason, the way she said those three words sparked a change in Pacifica.

 

The feeling she’s become used to lately somehow overtook her. As if at those three words, a sudden warmness spread throughout her body, and she couldn’t take the grin off her face. It was too weird, and lasted way longer than what she considered comfortable.

 

She has no idea what this feeling is, or why it’s back. From what she could remember, the only other time she’s felt this way was when she met a member of a popular boyband when she was eleven. Even then, she had no idea what the feeling was.

 

And yet, five years later, at the age of sixteen, she still has no idea how to deal with the feeling.

 

At some point the warmness became so overwhelming that her brain decided the only way to get rid of it was to take a walk through the rather freezing night. _Why didn’t I remember to wear a jacket?_

Even with her body freezing – her sweater did nothing to help – she still found that she was quite warm. Those three words were still dancing around her thoughts, making her – particularly her face – warm up.

 

The sunset was helping calm that indescribable feeling, but it didn’t stop Mabel’s words from floating around her head. At some point along her walk, she finally found that she was comfortable with it.

 

The abandoned park looked pretty at this time of day. The pinkish sunset mixing with the overgrown greenery was like something out of a dream. It honestly made her wonder how anyone could abandon this park in the first.

 

She supposed it was because most of the park’s playground was rusty and broken. None of it was suitable for little children to play on. Though, as she approached it, she noticed two figures sitting on the set of swings – one of the only things not broken.

 

Did kids still come to play here? Of course not, no responsible parent would let their kids come here, especially during sunset! Then who could possibly be here at this hour?

 

Coming closer – curiosity won her over – it became clear that these were not young children.

 

In fact, it happened to be Norman and some ginger.

 

She paused. They haven’t noticed her yet. Maybe this could be her opportunity to figure Norman out once and for all.

 

There was nothing in particular she could gather from their conversation. Norman just seemed like a normal teen who liked to hang out with his friends. The most she could find out was that the teen did have a bad mouth around friends – but that was nothing important.

 

_So much for that…_

She sighed, turning around and taking a single step forward in surrender. As nice as this little walk was, she’d rather not bump into people while in her “I’m feeling lazy” outfit.

 

“Pacifica?” _Shit… Busted._

Taking a deep breath, she turned back around, only to be met with both teen’s eyes on her. The blonde approached the two teens calmly, a small greeting smile on her face.

 

“Hey Norman.” She greeted sincerely. Said teen smiled, mood brightening slightly. Her eyes quickly met his friend’s. “And you must be…?”

 

“Neil.” He smiled back at her – a truly genuine and innocent smile that made her feel slightly envious – then stilled. His smile fell and his jaw dropped. “Wait… You’re Pacifica Northwest?”

 

“That would be me…” The smile remained on her face, though only to hide the wave of disappointment that came over her.

 

“Wow…” Neil couldn’t help but stare in awe. “Wait. Norm, you _know_ Pacifica?”

 

“Um… Yeah?” His friend stared back at him in confusion. “Is that a bad thing?”

 

“What? No, no, no! I just...” He sent Pacifica an apologetic look, to which she accepted. “How did you guys even meet?”

 

“Through Mabel.”  Norman shrugged.

 

“Through Mabel!?” The ginger seemed surprised. “Am I the only one who _doesn’t_ personally know Pacifica?”

 

His friend shrugged once more.

 

“So…” Norman dragged out, his very little spurt of confidence suddenly gone. “… Didn’t think we’d see you here.”

 

She smiled, though it was way more genuine than the last one. “I could say the same.”

 

“I guess you could.” He laughed awkwardly in response, rubbing the back of his neck with his hands. “Neil and I were just hanging out.”

 

“At an abandoned park?” She raised an eyebrow.

 

“We’ve hung out at weirder places, trust me.” He smiled.

 

“I believe you.” The blonde laughed.

 

“Want to join us? I have horrible, overly exaggerated, preteen magazines to make fun of.” Neil brought the obnoxiously colorful magazines out of his bag. Pacifica recalled seeing Mabel reading this magazine when they were in middle school.

 

She eyed them for a minute. Mabel used to love those until she realized none of it was really true. She couldn’t help the blush forming on her face at the thought of her friend.

 

She shook her head, refocusing on the two teens in front of her. While she’d usually decline immediately – if Mabel wasn’t there, she figured she wouldn’t have fun – something inside her made her want to accept.

 

It was odd. She wasn’t sure why, but the feeling was familiar to the one she felt when she thought about Mabel. Though, while it wasn’t as strong, it was still pretty similar. The feeling was accentuated as her eyes landed on Norman. Something about this kid that she had just met was making her feel happy. The thought of hanging out with him and his friend didn’t seem like a bad idea at all.

 

She sighed. Nothing was making sense, and she was pretty sure that if she kept thinking about it, her brain would explode. She might as well just say yes. It’s not like she had anything to lose from accepting. And besides, she really needed a break from thinking too much.

 

“Sure.” The word came out of her mouth much faster than she expected. She was already plopping down on the empty swing next to the spikey-haired teen by the time her brain was struck with the realization of what just happened.

 

“Awesome! Triple the insults!” Norman laughed as Neil fist-bumped him.

 

“So Neil…” Pacifica started, hoping it would lead to some sort of conversation. “Why exactly do you have those?”

 

“Best friend quizzes first, questions later!” The ginger rushed in hopes of steering the conversation, flipping open the first magazine to quiz titled “ _Are you meant-to-be BFFs?”_

 

“This is gonna be fun.” Norman commented, sarcasm lacing his voice.

 

“You bet! Alright, so we’ll all take the quiz at the same time…” Neil pulled out a loose piece of paper and a pencil. “Norm, you keep track of who got the same answers.” His friend nodded, taking the items.

 

“Okay! Question one… You and your BFF decide to hang out together. Do you… A, go to the mall, b, go to the movies, or c, hang out in their room – you two don’t need to go out to have a fun time.”

 

“C.” The three teens said simultaneously, as if it was obvious. Norman nodded writing “c” next to each of their names.

 

“Question two… Your BFF is asking for advice on what to wear on a date. Do you… A, suggest something cute and girly, b, suggest something casual, something they wear every day, or c, suggest something bold so that they stand out.”

 

“B.” Was uttered immediately, once again in unison.

 

Neil let out laugh at the coincidence. “I have a good feeling about this quiz already!” He beamed, watching his friend write down three letter “b’s”.

 

“Question three… Your BFF got a bad grade on a test. Do you… A, cheer them up, b, offer to help them study for the next test, or c, do nothing – it’s their fault that they didn’t study.”

 

“B,” Pacifica said first.

 

Norman nodded, writing her answer down before saying, “A.”

 

The two teens stared at Neil, waiting patiently for his answer. He hummed, thinking for a full minute before saying, “A and B.”

 

“Huh?” The blonde and the brunet said in together, confusion evidence on their faces.

 

“What? I can’t do both?” He smiled as Norman sighed, writing down both letters without further hesitation.

 

Pacifica laughed at his reaction, to which he turned to her before uttering, “Trust me, he does this every time we take one of these quizzes.”

 

“And this won’t be the last time!” Neil stated. “Anyway, question four! You and your BFF decide to watch a movie. Do you… A, watch a rom-com, b, watch a horror movie, or c, watch an action movie.”

 

“Definitely b.” Norman quickly put out there, writing his answer down.

 

“Horror movies aren’t even scary.” The blonde blatantly commented.

 

“That’s exactly the point.”

 

Disregarding his response, she decided, “I vote c. Action movies aren’t the greatest, but they’re definitely better than rom-coms and horror movies.”

 

“Psh, I doubt it. Half the reason people watch action movies are for the explosions.” The brunet argued.

 

“And I still find them considerably more interesting than Mean Girls or The Conjuring.” She folded her arms, a small, purposely conceited smile on her face to exaggerate her point.

 

“Okay, woah, I totally understand what you’re saying with The Conjuring, but _Mean Girls_? It’s a classic, you have to love it!” Neil sounded way more serious than the situation called for. “I pick a. Norman can totally back me up on this he’s watched it a bajillion times!”

 

“Neil!” The teen slightly shoved his ginger friend.

 

Pacifica let out a laugh. “Seriously? Mean Girls?”

 

“My older sister used to watch it a lot when she was in high school. She still does, and sometimes forces me to watch it with her.” He explained, rubbing the back of his neck out of embarrassment.

 

“The first time he watched it, he called me and did commentary throughout the whole— _mphf!_ ” Neil’s sentence was cut off by Norman’s hand to his mouth.

 

“Okay I might have done that, but that’s besides that point.” He explained quickly, taking his hand off of his friend’s mouth. Pacifica muffled her laughter her hand for the sake of Norman’s pride.

 

“Question five!” Neil continued. “Your BFF is dating someone you have a crush on.”

 

Norman’s eyes widened. What a coincidence.

 

“Do you… A, try to get between them, b, leave them be – they got to them first, after all, or c, tell your BFF about it – they’ll understand, right?”

 

Neil and Norman shared a look – Norman’s more anxious, Neil’s more unsure. They didn’t comment about the very obvious connection to their lives, but they both knew the other was thinking about it.

 

Pacifica, completely unware of it, sensed the sudden heaviness to the air. In an attempt to fix it, she went first, saying, “It has to be c.”

 

The other two teens turned their attention to the blonde.

 

“Like, what’s the point of keeping it to yourself? If you trust your—“ She paused, cringing at the word she was about to say. “… Your ‘BFF’ then you should trust them with this, shouldn’t you?”

 

She watched as Norman averted his eyes with an unreadable expression. The group was silent for some time, Pacifica looking back and forth between the two guys for some sort of response.

 

Did she say something wrong? She only said what she really thought. And really, what exactly was so bad about what she really thought? What was so bad about being honest?

 

If she was put in a situation where she liked Mabel’s significant other, she’d tell the brunette. There’s nothing wrong with admitting the truth to someone you care about. Maybe that was just her situation, though. It’s not every day you become best friends with someone as caring and understanding as her.

 

“You’re right.” Neil agreed. Both Pacifica and Norman snapped out of it at the sound of the ginger’s voice. “I mean, of course you should tell them! If they’re really your BFF, they won’t get weirded out or angry at you. You were just being honest, after all, instead of dealing with your feelings yourself!”

 

Pacifica noticed how Neil kept his eyes trained on Norman the entire time. Maybe it was something personal between them – she completely understood – but the least they could’ve done was be a little more secretive about it.

 

It was obvious Norman got Neil’s message, though he didn’t comment on it. Nothing she could’ve said would’ve helped the awkwardness of the conversation.

 

An awkward moment of silence passed before Neil drew in a short sigh, going onto the next question.

 

Ten questions and a heated debate about Beyoncé later, Pacifica found herself laughing until she couldn’t feel her face anymore. Halfway through the quiz, Norman lost track of keeping a record of their responses in favor of explaining (in much detail) why “a bad bitch like him was always in pain, since after all, Beyoncé said _pretty hurts_ ”. That particular line nearly made the blonde lose her shit.

 

Maybe she’s been seriously misjudging this guy from the beginning. After all, she never would have thought that she would laugh _this_ hard without Mabel being the cause of it.

 

If anything, there’s one thing she can conclude: Norman wasn’t just another normal face that wanted to befriend her because of status. And she couldn’t be any more grateful for that.

 

Pacifica never really made close friends. They were always acquaintances, or just peers, nothing special. So when Neil cheerfully declared all of them “besties,” she couldn’t help but feel all warm and happy inside. His words could have meant absolutely nothing to him, but to Pacifica, the term made her feel so… Loved, she supposed.

 

“How about the farquaad star squad?”

 

Pacific and Neil both blinked once, glanced at each other, and then back at Norman before falling into a heap of laughter and heaving. His offer was so ridiculously genuine, that the blonde almost felt bad for laughing.

 

“What? _Hell no._ ” Her words, though sounding harsh, was masked perfectly well by the grin on her face and the fits of giggles she let out.

 

“Oh come on,” Norman started laughing as well. “Why not? It’s fucking perfect!”

 

“It’s fucking stupid, that’s what.” The girl retaliated quickly, effectively making all three of them laugh once more.

 

A slight vibrating sound in her pocket interrupted her muffled chuckle. It was an alarm she had set for Yiherself.

 

“Fuck, it’s six already.” She muttered. She hadn’t even noticed how dark it had gotten. The two boys were still attempting to come down from their laughing fits, not hearing half of her sentence. “Anyway, this has been fun and all, but I kind of have to get home.”

 

“Already? But it’s only—“ Neil’s eyes widened when he checked the time on his phone. “Oh god, it’s already six!?”

 

“Congratulations, you can read the time.” The spikey haired teen randomly inserted, throwing Pacifica off guard for a second out of shock. Though, the ginger didn’t seem phased at all.

 

Neil’s face twisted into one of fake worry. “Oh god, and now Norman’s getting _salty_ sarcastic. _Yikes._ ”

Pacifica snorted at the rebuttal, watching Norman give Neil a look. “Ah, but you’re right, we should start heading home.”

 

The group simultaneously stood up, gathering their belongings, a few words of confusion over who’s jacket was who’s exchanged.

 

Once set, the pair walked up the path towards the more commonly used sidewalk. Pacifica was picking at the hem of her sweater the whole time, unsure of what she was supposed to say when they needed to go their separate ways.

 

They came to a stop at a three-way intersection, Pacifica needing to walk in one direction while the boys needed to take the opposite path.

 

“Uhm—“

 

“We should do this again, Pacifica!” Neil offered, his face immediately brightening. She nearly cracked a smile at his beaming expression.

 

“Uh, yeah, sure, I-I mean, why not.” The reply didn’t come out the way she wanted, but it would suffice. “Those preteen magazines won’t read themselves.”

 

Both Norman and Neil laughed in response, waving goodbye quickly before running off in the other direction.

 

Pacifica stood there, watching as the two boys walked off together. And in that moment, she could’ve sworn that maybe this wasn’t just a happy, fairytale-ending dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah yes what better way to rush an ending but to have the CHARACTERS be in a rush (sort of)


End file.
